Artist Statement

Artists and the everyday gardener are remarkably similar in which they both continuously tend to their craft and seek new opportunities to grow. Gardening requires a certain amount of dedication and patience to flourish, and it is important to take these qualities and apply them to our everyday lives.

As a multidisciplinary artist I work with a variety of mediums. I often combine these materials to create unique detailed pieces that highlight the serene beauty of nature. Drawing inspiration from earlier art movements such as Surrealism and Rococo, my artworks mostly have florals or plants with most having a symbolic meaning. The florals I depict often represent tranquility or mindfulness and I choose my medium accordingly to reflect this idea. The inclusion of origami in my works further highlights the idea of tranquility. Folding paper cranes is a meditation practice and, in my sculpture, Puddles of Persistence combined origami cranes with blown glass to symbolize patience and fragility.

While there is beauty in nature it can also be quite bizarre and surreal. Venus fly traps are known for their carnivores' tendencies, and I have depicted them in a few of my works. Their uncanniness is what draws my interest to them. The uncanny can also be seen in my works. My painting, Unruly Vines, is a visual representation of anxiety and frustration. The hands symbolize the “artist,” with vine wrapped around them symbolizing invasive feelings. Though it is a bit odd, it pairs nicely with the plants because nature can also be unusual.