Artist Statement

My current work is all about objects in nature and how they relate to one another. As a mixed media artist-printmaker, I combine relief cuts, lithography, etching, silkscreen, cast metals, and fabric. I have always enjoyed studying science and I find the natural world to be a curious and magical place, ripe for exploring. A gardener who tediously tends to her backyard compost, I deeply enjoy a close look at the mysterious cycles and creatures making up these complex communities. As I observe forms in nature, modeling the  repetition and textures is central to my designs and pattern work. I spend time observing nature, reading about botany or biology to inform my visual ideas. While I use bright colors and fabrics, meant to grab your attention, my pallet is more reflective of my personality than anything else. I like to imagine I am able to create an imaginary bridge for my audience to go somewhere else, and possibly be transported through their own memories and experiences in nature. 

 

Outside of academia and my artistic practice I have been able to collaborate with many different groups to develop healthier communities through school gardens, urban agriculture policy development and supporting stronger local farmers’ markets. At the core of all of these projects have been the need for healthy soil and water. My most current work embodies life force, biological cycles, systems and concern for stewardship of our sacred Mother Earth. In our current climate crisis, issues surrounding clean water and land use can be touchy subjects, so I like to use my artwork as a gentle and fun way to start these conversations. 

 

By combining different techniques and materials, I intend to present my audience with something magical and mysterious. Objects and images which might seem alien are meant to create curiosity and wonder, even a chance for new discovery. My audience is welcome to approach my work for pure aesthetic enjoyment, but I ultimately want to inspire people to discuss new ideas about nature and science. I want my art to affect positive change, even if it is just the introduction of a new idea, like the planting of a single seed can improve the life of so many creatures.