A World of Wonder

Growing up in western North Carolina, I spent countless hours exploring the forest near my home. On my hands and knees, I would get closer to the earth to reveal small worlds made of intricate shapes and textures. From a child’s perspective, the natural world feels magical and endless. It is during these formative years that I developed my deep connection to nature and an intuitive knowing that I am a part of the whole, a thread within the great tapestry of life.

I’ve carried this kinship with me into adulthood as I’ve pursued my professional endeavors in the environmental field, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador and receiving a M.S. in Environmental Education at Southern Oregon University. Throughout my science career, I have used art as an expression of wonder for that which I learn and teach. Some of my artistic projects have included a four wall mural for the North Mountain Park Nature Center in Ashland, Oregon and a Winter Lights exhibit for The N.C. Arboretum in Asheville.

My artistic process begins in place. I find the subjects of my paintings while immersed in natural spaces. Oftentimes, it is not I who discover the life forms I choose to paint, but rather a mutual meeting, as if they are calling me over. I lead with this intuition and continue to do so in the studio where my paintings become less of a replication in form and more of an expression of inner spirit. By exaggerating scale, playing with light and shadow, and working with a saturated, nuanced palette, energy begins to emanate from within. However, it is when I put aside all techniques and call upon the wisdom of my youth that the inner essence of my work is truly conveyed.