I am drawn to the beauty of natural materials. Being that we are interconnected to our environment, it is, to me, a lovely relationship that the earth is able to provide such unique and vibrant materials. These resources- stone, wood, metal, have an inherent, subsumed place in history regardless if it is a tiny pebble or a giant sequoia.
In collaboration with my selected pieces of nature, the work I create serves as metaphors for life. It is a balance of the natural and the manufactured and the tension of existence. The struggle is made manifest through the relations of the individual elements.
My work in graduate school has been an examination of the themes of tension and balance utilizing varied media and techniques. There are so many aspects of life that are affected by being unbalanced, or struggling to maintain balance. Tension is a thread that weaves through all of it.
As my exploration has evolved through pushing myself as well as my materials, the most recent works have come from a place of deeply personal expression. It has been a cathartic and contemplative way for me to deal with the emotions especially present this past year including frustration, isolation, pain, and loss.