This piece represents the emotional immaterial human Interior that no one reaches to see from the outside. It contemplates the effects of discomfort on their self-perception, interpersonal relationships, and/or personal cosmovision when individuals are confronted with dissonant experiences. People are presented with an opportunity to reassess their long-held beliefs or disassociation that she or he is going through. This process of introspection can be a profound and transformative experience… Answers are in yourself with the potential to impact both the individual and the broader society by loving who you are.

This piece is inspired by American traditional tattooing. I love the composition of American traditional tattoos, so I took my personal style of black linework and tried to combine the two. I chose this particular vase to apply this design to because I threw it with a lot of curves. This design and piece together behave like a tattooed body, which I find really fascinating.

This piece has a scene of a frog making pasta from scratch with a pot of water boiling on the stove. The frogs are a common motif in my work. They are inspired by Beatrix Potter, Studio Ghibli movies, and Mr. Frog and Mr. Toad. I love imaging the frogs in different settings, each with their own apartments and personalities.

This work grapples with loss as an entity that can be viewed from ever-shifting perspectives. A personal loss can be shocking – alien and incomprehensible. It can draw us back into infancy and can introduce us to unfamiliar, reborn versions of ourselves. Those lost to us may seem to hang suspended in the past, present, and future. They come to exist at the intersection between the threads of those who remember them. This work seeks to explore the mystery of what we feel and how we perceive and communicate our experiences to others.

In my art, I explore the depths of human experience, weaving emotions into visual representations that resonate with the inner sphere. Each stroke and color reflects a passage in the universal experience, inviting viewers to contemplate their own spiritual voyage. As I navigate the canvas, my art serves as a visual testament to the shared human odyssey, a reflection of the profound and intricate narratives that unfold within everyone. Through this creative exploration, I aspire to foster a deeper connection with the universal threads that bind us and illuminate the beauty inherent in our collective spiritual sojourn.
In my artistic pursuit, the soul quest becomes a central theme, transcending physical landscapes into metaphysical realms. Through symbolism and expression, I delve into the complexities of self-discovery, transformation, and interconnectedness of souls. My creation aims to evoke introspection, guiding viewers on a contemplative exploration of their own unique paths.

This representation of our Stars and Stripes, titled “Disconnected and Wounded, Yet Still United” evokes the violence of the many mass shootings we have experienced as a nation. I wanted to convey the disconnect we have between our national horror over the deaths of children and adults who were taken so suddenly. The inability of our leaders to act to protect us has kept us in a state of disconnect. The puzzle pieces are all disconnected, yet organized to resemble a flag. The black bullet holes jar our sense’s and the stitching represents our efforts to remain united. I want the viewer to see the glimmer of hope in the colorful pieces as an effort to bring us all together again.

Using subjects that could easily be overlooked and considered dismissible I endeavor to bring light to the idea that beauty can be found anywhere, in anyone. I often experiment with splicing together variations of images and altering colors to demonstrate how easily our perception of things can shift and change. In an instant a situation can go from hopeless to full of promise. Too often we focus on the moment we are in and can’t see the hope that lies beyond circumstances or the beauty that lies beneath the surface.

Invitational artwork

The painting was a part of an abstract series reflecting the seasons.

Juror requested invitational artwork

One of a series of small charcoal drawings done in Winter in the middle of the pandemic. It was really cold in my studio and outside was quiet and empty. I was grimly determined to keep working.

Using subjects that could easily be overlooked and considered dismissible I endeavor to bring light to the idea that beauty can be found anywhere, in anyone. I often experiment with splicing together variations of images and altering colors to demonstrate how easily our perception of things can shift and change. In an instant a situation can go from hopeless to full of promise. Too often we focus on the moment we are in and can’t see the hope that lies beyond circumstances or the beauty that lies beneath the surface.

Based on an original photo looking up at the underside of one end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, this hand-cut collage is made entirely of cut postage stamps and envelopes (and a wee bit of paint pen).

The U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022 declared that the constitutional right to abortion no longer exists. The assemblage, My Body, is a pro-choice response to Roe v. Wade being overturned.

The center of the triptych, The Day Before Independence, is dated July 3rd – the day before Independence Day or the Fourth of July. The piece alludes to America’s celebration of freedom and independence while expressing sorrow at the delay in progress to attain legal gender equality. The assemblage incorporates mourning motifs of weeping willows and the Lover’s Eye with an image of a group of women from the early 20th century. The women are partially obscured by stars and the central figure is dressed in black.

Encaustic on birch panel, as we pass through the ruins we find new roads that open to us with adventure and happiness along the path, there are many roads to choose from. Created using beeswax, damar resin, and pigment.

Encaustic Mixed Media. As we find our way through the veil of darkness, we search for the light to show us the way, and the road in which to take.
Created using beeswax, damar resin, pigment and textile.

When you look at this canvas and it’s many petals do you interpret it as a tunnel or a tower? Does the white section pop out or does it seem to fall away? Can you alter how you see this in your mind?

Likewise, how do you interpret authority? Do you see it as oppressive or freeing? Do you see it as cooperative or contentious? Can you alter this too in your mind?

At times I rage against the idea of submitting because I want the control. I want to control the world I live in and the world to which I am exposed. But if I shift my perspective, I can see submission for what it truly is – giving honor and considering others above my own selfish way of life.

Submitting to one another and to authority can foster collaboration and harmony within our relationships and communities. It demands empathy, understanding, and mutual respect. It allows one to acknowledge and appreciate the diverse perspectives of others. Practicing shifting our perceptions is truly a practice of humility and love.

This quilted piece is inspired by my experience as the mother of a child with autism. When public spaces were too overwhelming for my son, and he would have a “meltdown,” people always looked to me to contain and put an end to the disruption. I saw it as his reaction to the chaotic environment they had created. They saw it as a temper tantrum due to bad parenting. I chose fabric as the medium for this piece because of its comforting qualities. Coming home, draping it on my lap and sewing it piece by piece calmed my mind after such encounters. Like the dripping ice cream into the hand on my quilt, you cannot contain a meltdown. You just have to ride it out and let it run its course. Trying to contain it is just a performance to the surrounding observers.

The presence of a vast body of water has consistently evoked a sense of awe within me. This particular piece was inspired by visiting Savannah, shortly after celebrating my son’s first birthday. Already a momentous time in our lives, the proximity to the shoreline amplified my feelings of joy and gratitude as we marked yet another significant milestone together.

There’s power in stillness! Carving out time to pause, listen, and reflect is a necessity for me as an artist and as a human being. This piece is all about slowing down to energize and inspire the power that’s already in us.

In 2017, Stephanie Jones-Rogers’ article titled, ‘[S]he could…spare one ample breast for the profit of her owner…’ examined how white mothers developed a ‘Wet Nurse’ economy by renting, loaning, and selling enslaved African women as wet nurses. The niche economy was mostly carried out within US Southern and Latin America households which kept this economy hidden in the broader sense of “traditional” enslaved skills and labor. Also, the article discussed how white
mothers’ desires and demands were crucial to the commodification of enslaved African women’s reproductive bodies, their breast milk, and maternal care they provided to white children.

Symbols come with intended messages, but their most enduring associations accumulate over time. Symbols are not content, but are instead vessels in which content is stored. As designer Paul Rand said: “It is only by association…that a logo [symbol] takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes.”

They the People invites reconsideration of a familiar national symbol. Animated fibers form a fragile, loosely-connected fabric that precariously hovers between order and chaos. This delicate vision is disrupted by fields of digital texture. We are reminded that symbols are what we make them—they can represent our ideals and successes, but also our collective failures, insensitivities, overconfidence, and divisions.

My paintings explore the interconnection of humanity with nature and my search to understand this relationship. I work in an expressionistic and intuitive manner allowing the painting to evolve through the process of discovery while making considered decisions along the way. Colors layered with bold, heavy brush strokes and gestural marks are used to create a richly textured surface from which images emerge. The personal symbolism of the flat deer and birds along with the house becoming a mountain create a narrative which welcomes the viewer’s curiosity. Using layers of earthy, desaturated colors along with glazing and a few areas of brighter colors against the stark black and white areas creates contrast. A journey of discovery, guided by the interplay of line, color, shape, layers, contrast; which reveal history, and texture. I enjoy the brushstrokes of paint, the variety of marks from pencil and the fun of posca markers and crayon.

From a series of paintings based on collages of old Archie comic book pages.

Furiana reimagines the impact on women when we lack control of our own bodies. As a subverted depiction of Elizabeth I, the Virgin Queen, she reminds us that one of the most powerful women in history could only retain her power if she chose not to have children.

Channelling the retributive energy of a Greek Fury, today her rage is directed towards conservatives who insist on birth regardless of circumstances, politicians continuing to drive repressive legislation and Supreme Court Justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Without freedom of choice, Furiana’s innate vitality has darkened and desiccated, turning even the lace and gems of her once regal Tudor garb into brittle decorations that reveal desperate options.

Yet she stands at the moment of transformation, igniting her spirit to defy further repression and regain control of her reproductive rights.

We live in a culture obsessed with drinking. We drink at weddings and sporting events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Drinking has become so normalized that no one ever questions the fact that alcohol is everywhere. In fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink.

Someone I love is in recovery from alcohol use disorder. As they strive for sobriety, it has undoubtedly changed how I think, speak, and act on the topic of alcohol. Going out for a drink used to be the default activity. Now, we participate in activities that help us connect in ways that a conversation over a few glasses of wine never could.

This body of work is an invitation to examine your personal attitudes and actions around drinking and how it may affect those in recovery. I hope it serves as encouragement to be sensitive and supportive to those who have a different relationship with alcohol than that of your own.

TW: Alcohol misuse

We live in a culture obsessed with drinking. We drink at weddings and sporting events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Drinking has become so normalized that no one ever questions the fact that alcohol is everywhere. In fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone doesn’t drink.

Someone I love is in recovery from alcohol use disorder. As they strive for sobriety, it has undoubtedly changed how I think, speak, and act on the topic of alcohol. Going out for a drink used to be the default activity. Now, we participate in activities that help us connect in ways that a conversation over a few glasses of wine never could.

This body of work is an invitation to examine your personal attitudes and actions around drinking and how it may affect those in recovery. I hope it serves as encouragement to be sensitive and supportive to those who have a different relationship with alcohol than that of your own.

I am a multimedia artist that uses oil, graphite and charcoal to enforce my analytical analysis on intimate relationships regarding power in different perspectives. The use of these materials allows me to explore technicality and emphasis on details. Figuration in the work gives myself the power to hyper-fixate on anatomical movement. Through forced and natural posing, I emphasize my relationship with abusive heteronormativity psychologically and emotionally relating to the importance of accountability in consanguinity. Recognizing the duality of responsibility, the work highlights myself as a victim and perpetrator to mental health.