Seeing beauty in the simplest aspects of nature inspires me to create art as a testament to our world. Being raised on a farm in rural Virginia gave me an appreciation of a reverence for all life. The inherent forms along with color and value establish nature as the master of aesthetics. An early introduction to Japanese art showed me that all nature was worthy and significant as subjects for art. Using materials derived from nature, cotton, linen, wool, silk, adds a tactile quality that I believe elevates the enjoyment of art.

My work is a response to the miraculous energy exhibited in nature, an invisible power that creates exquisite structures and designs in every living thing around us only to destroy them and begin again. Specifically, it is inspired by a lifelong fascination with the detritus left behind. Shimmering maple tree seeds, decaying oak leaves, or delicate marine relics awash on the beach are tangible (and daily) reminders that life is precious and fleeting, but also hopeful as that energy is always transformed into something new. The drawings, pulp prints and sculptures produced for my thesis are futher animated by the belief that nature is telling us something with its expressive vocabulary of lines, shapes, textures and colors. In every weather-worn remnant, there is a narrative—a life history and lessons to be learned. Captivated by the recurring forms and patterns found on land and in the sea, I find myself trying to decipher this language through close observation and interaction with the objects I collect, study and draw from, as well as the natural materials used to produce the work. Through the rituals of drawing and erasing, steaming, cooking and preparing fiber, concealing and revealing imagery, form and text, I find myself connecting with these narratives and participating in an age-old dialogue with nature.

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