Artist’s Statement

Paper – in its multitude of colors and textures – is the essence of my work.  It is the medium itself that causes my work to constantly evolve and continually surprise me.  Whether it's the cyclical journey of trees or the simple beauty of a clothesline hanging outside a window, using paper delivers a painterly quality with textures that can't be achieved through paint.

The dimensional quality of each piece emerges as I work through a unique process that has been both expanded and refined over time.  First, paper from all over the world is gathered; I find papers in the small villages of Thailand, Tibet, Japan, Mexico, Nepal, and Egypt, to name a few.  The paper is cut, torn, and layered to create uniquely textured scenes.  Acrylic paints and sealants are then used on top of the papers to add more variation in color, to bring out textures, and to protect the paper.

As a child of an artist, I grew up with colors, textures, and techniques of others, but in searching and developing my own unique style, I found the best of all worlds in paper. Here was a sculptural medium to satisfy my tactile nature, offering limitless possibilities for color and a story of its own to add depth to the meaning of each piece. When I discovered paper as my medium, a whole new textural world opened up.

It is important to me that viewers not only see and feel the intensity and vitality of my pieces; I want them to also know the story of the paper I work with.  This is why each original work comes with samples of the paper used in that particular piece and information about the source of those papers.

Ronni Jolles