Artist Statement
My art studio is a cabinet of curiosities. Jars of agates and seashells litter my shelves, and a jungle of houseplants creeps at the windows. As a naturalist, I find inspiration and joy in the study of organisms and abiotic components that construct the biosphere. I marry spiritual metaphor with scientific illustration.
The world is becoming more artificial. What we ingest, inhale, and wear is manufactured. Our attention is bombarded with advertisements, loud machinery, and manufactured light. To combat this sensory overload, I create at a deliberate, soothing pace. Developing a physical relationship with an object allows me to depict it more accurately. Time spent sketching the subject and scribbling observational notes forms a bond between me and what I am studying.
Historically, such nature studies were done using watercolor, but using oil elevates what were originally scientific tools to something that can connect with the audience at a more spiritual, visceral level. Green is found throughout my work as a metaphor for hope and rejuvenation. Repetition of shapes and patterns offers a feeling of stability in an increasingly unstable world. The rhythm of stippling ink is meditative.
Although I use 2-D mediums, there is a sensuosity in my work. Forms are true to life, but color is saturated—sometimes pure chroma. Like a bee, I use the sense of taste to describe color—juicy, candy-bright, vibrant. I delight in detail as a patisserie might top a crème caramel with spun sugar. Textures are either a thin wash, shimmering glazes, or chunky impasto. This layering of textures mirrors the layering of habitats.
Each of my paintings and drawings is a portrait of natural object, but plants are my focus. The way a tiny seed can erupt from the dark soil and burst into foliage and bloom inspires hope, of striving towards an ideal. As plants, fungi, and even minerals grow, so should we in our spiritual and intellectual lives. From them we can learn patience, perseverance, and adaptability. By studying nature, we can improve on the nature of ourselves.
The world is becoming more artificial. What we ingest, inhale, and wear is manufactured. Our attention is bombarded with advertisements, loud machinery, and manufactured light. To combat this sensory overload, I create at a deliberate, soothing pace. Developing a physical relationship with an object allows me to depict it more accurately. Time spent sketching the subject and scribbling observational notes forms a bond between me and what I am studying.
Historically, such nature studies were done using watercolor, but using oil elevates what were originally scientific tools to something that can connect with the audience at a more spiritual, visceral level. Green is found throughout my work as a metaphor for hope and rejuvenation. Repetition of shapes and patterns offers a feeling of stability in an increasingly unstable world. The rhythm of stippling ink is meditative.
Although I use 2-D mediums, there is a sensuosity in my work. Forms are true to life, but color is saturated—sometimes pure chroma. Like a bee, I use the sense of taste to describe color—juicy, candy-bright, vibrant. I delight in detail as a patisserie might top a crème caramel with spun sugar. Textures are either a thin wash, shimmering glazes, or chunky impasto. This layering of textures mirrors the layering of habitats.
Each of my paintings and drawings is a portrait of natural object, but plants are my focus. The way a tiny seed can erupt from the dark soil and burst into foliage and bloom inspires hope, of striving towards an ideal. As plants, fungi, and even minerals grow, so should we in our spiritual and intellectual lives. From them we can learn patience, perseverance, and adaptability. By studying nature, we can improve on the nature of ourselves.