I'm letting things go.

Every so often I sell a piece. I don’t actively pursue that side of art making. When it happens I have to figure out how to let it go. I have declined offers in the past. The result is my studio has become a warren of finished and half finished pieces. Sometimes I walk sideways through the aisles. Congestion breeds ideas. I’m never afraid of cutting up one piece to start another. For me it is always about Process over Product.

These two pieces had an important part in defining my practice. The Isolation Chamber started the 3D experiments I am still pursuing. And, I watch too much tv news satisfied my urge to speak out about what is going on in the world. The 14 foot scroll moved through its case in a continuous loop reminding me to pay attention. I’m proud of both. And ready to say goodbye.

I sold one and destroyed the other.

In 2018 I decided to make a series of globes into which people could insert their heads to shut out all distractions and contemplate their inner thoughts. I made two of them. Then COVID hit and I realized that people probably wouldn’t want to stick their heads into something that someone else had tried. It became my personal isolation chamber and I put the project on hold.

And now it is on its way to its new home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

I watch too much tv news is still a true statement. I feel an obligation to know what is going on. The insanity leaks into my work all the time. The tv news piece focuses on how we get the news, who is creating the news and how it affects the outcomes of the people living through it. The fourteen foot scroll runs in a continuous loop just as our history does. We repeat. And then again, we repeat. My frustration with the way things are falling apart drove me to destroy the tv cabinet in which the scroll was housed. I preserved the history (as I hope all history is recorded) but let go of the infrastructure of it. I think it would be nice to wipe the structures clean and start over again. We are clearly mired in insanity. Here’s a video of the action.

The destruction of I watch too much tv news

The video, the trashed case and the scroll will all be part of the solo show I will have at the Schweinfurth Art Museum October 31 – January 3, 2027. Join me at the opening on Halloween of this year.

A little news

I met artist Hamlett Dobbins last year. Not only is he a talented artist but he is also the wizard behind the website called Memphis Material, an oral history project collecting interviews from Memphis’ visual arts community. When he contacted me about being part of the archive I was hesitant. It meant being interviewed about my life and how I came to be an artist. It always makes me nervous to be interviewed. Will I remember dates? names? will I say uh 400 times? But Hamlett’s easy, welcoming, curious manner made the uncomfortable, comfortable. I appreciate what he is doing and love listening to all of the stories of the incredible artists here in Memphis. I invite you to explore the many points of view the visual arts community in Memphis present.

Today marks the finish of my piece called Burst. While it was a work in progress I called it 02.28.26, a reference to the war in Iran. It measures 41” x 36” with a forward protrusion of about 10”. It bursts from the wall.

Burst, a 3D fiber art sculpture with explosive features made by Paula Kovarik

Inspirations

I am a collector of images and ideas.

Artists

The list is long, longer each day I discover someone else making incredible work. I linger on all of them. Here are six from a list of thousands.

Nature

I have to be in nature to be healthy. Sometimes I stand in shock and awe because of the beauty and mystery. I might have to buy more photo storage for the thousands of photos I have of these miracles.

Books

I read all and everything—Science, Mystery, SciFi, History, Maps, Essays, you name it I want to read it. These six are from my list of thousands that stuck with me after reading.

Cracks

I walk every day the weather allows it. Cracks in the sidewalks, cracks in the streets, cracks on walls speak the language of transformation. Here are six, some don’t show up unless it rains.

Things on roofs

A lot of my art is about communication, how it happens and when it doesn’t. These images remind me of how many ways we reach to the sky to capture the stories floating by.

Where do you get your ideas and images?

Send me an email

On clutter

I am privileged to have a large studio in which to create my art. I have been in this space for about 15 years. Recently I realized that I am burying myself in my work. I have to shuffle things around to find workspace, storage space and display space. It is heaven.

I like going to museums, craft stores, estate sales, second hand stores and libraries. They fuel my ideas.

Accessory store in Memphis Tennessee, JunLee

My friend Juanita brought a group of us to this store in Memphis. It holds every which way of fashion materials from Church Lady hats to walls of earrings and stickers. Need a sequined bustier? A tie dyed pair of leggings? A beaded purse in the shape of a football? We got you covered.

I also love puzzles. I give myself permission to do one puzzle each year. I know my tendency to obsess. If I didn’t limit myself to one you would find me buried under a card table filled with sky pieces, water pieces, and that little piece that has a stripe of pink with a yellow tongue that I have been looking for for a long time. I finished this puzzle last week and lo and behold a friend of mine sent me another one as a challenge. It is a drawing in black and white and gray of the anti-war painting by Picasso called Guernica. I changed my mind and will allow two puzzles this year. I remember being awestruck and losing my breath when I saw the original in Madrid.

I am hyper focused these days. While walking I will actually get down on my knees to see a mushroom emerge. My wishlist includes an electron microscope. Sounds emerge where there were none before. And don’t get me started on those little beetles that show up if you dig. The bounty of inspirations fuels me, astounds me and if I am honest it can stop me in my tracks.

Fiber art sculpture with oval mouth

Here’s my latest work. I haven’t figured out what to name it yet.

Food for thought

Free shotgun if you buy a diamond.

Here’s something we saw while driving through Arkansas. A jewelry shop is offering a free shotgun if you buy a diamond. It reminded me of a store here in Memphis that used to have a sign that said “Nuts and Furs”

Tennessee in March

Two years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to teach at Shakerag Workshops in Sewanee, TN. This place is a dream in reality. The Cumberland Plateau, the food, the folks — It’s one of my favorite places. The class, At Play in the Garden of Stitch, was a blast. We stitched with abandon, ridding ourselves of inhibitions and self doubt. The room was filled with laughter. We learned that there are no mistakes, just new ways of looking.

At Play in the Garden of Stitch - March 6-9, 2026

Do you love to be with creative folks? Do you want to feel more comfortable with free-motion quilting? Are you an artist who wants to experiment with cloth and thread? This workshop brings all of that together.

On March 6-9 I will be leading a weekend workshop at St. Mary’s Sewanee Retreat Center located on the edge of the Cumberland Plateau (a little more an hour from Nashville or Chattanooga, TN). It’s a quiet lovely space that brings contemplation and peace to those who travel there.

I’m dreaming of the Spring in Sewanee. I’d love to see you there.

Sign up now, the class should fill up soon.