My art is made from materials old and discarded. I regularly visit estate sales, junk stores, used bookstores, and other places filled with things forgotten by others. Women, children, and family figure prominently in the items I select. I picture the person who might have owned a specific piece, and imagine their life story. What I envision drives my work.

I often use objects some may consider unattractive. My subjects are not traditionally pretty. But with my assemblage and adornments, I offer a different lens by which to judge beauty.

At the core of who I am as an artist is the need to create individual works distinct from what I have done before. I call on my life experience, never a straight line, filled with roundabouts, and disappointments along the way. I consistently learn new techniques. I care little about becoming an expert in any one form.

Rather, I am compelled to discover how ideas and objects I care deeply about can be presented in new and unfamiliar ways.

Terie Leicht