Shields

I initially became fascinated by shields because I was drawn to the forms. The shape of a round shield might be seen by looking down at the top of a head, or at the earth from space. The Greeks thought of the cosmos as a disk, and they represented that in their shields.

In this series I explore the feminine aspect of a warrior’s tool. Most shields are round, a womanly form, and protective, a feminine trait. They have been lovingly decorated in cultures across the globe, past and present. Each shield that I make speaks to me of a different female aspect that I represent in abstract form.

I create the shields by building up layers of wax and covering them with metal leaf and sometimes paint. The wax keeps the form organic to represent a hand forged shield rather than manufactured and “perfect”. I incorporate authentic materials used by ancient and modern societies: wax, paint, metal foil, bronze and brass, wood and fabric.