I am a painter and mixed media collage artist originally from Jacksonville, Florida. In 1997 I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). For years my husband and I longed to move north, to find mountains, and to live where there are actually four distinct seasons. We finally accomplished this in October of 2022 when we completed our move from Florida to Roanoke.

In 2014 I began a body of work titled, "Of Land and Sky ~ Whimsical and Free". I imagined creating pieces that were softly surreal with a storybook sensibility. I wanted them to feel hopeful and aspirational, yet also include themes reflecting on disappointment, loneliness, and the loss of innocence. Even still, I continue to try to elevate the sense of wonder, romance, and optimism to which we aspire, while accepting the sadness and incompleteness we sometimes succumb to. I feel that the buoyant and promising themes are felt more intensely because of these somber elements coexisting in the work.

I most often work on canvas, but occasionally on wood or gesso board. My initial sketches tend to be loose and simple, but as I am a thorough planner, they eventually become much more extensive. Once sketched onto the canvas, I gather collage materials – vintage prints, hand-crafted papers, sewing patterns, maps, old letters and postcards, vintage book pages, and more. I am deliberate with what I choose to collage and where it is placed on the canvas. These meaningful details give a sense of nostalgia and help tell the story of the piece. I collage and seal this ephemera onto the canvas, creating almost a silhouette of the subjects who will appear in the work. Next, I begin painting. At this point, nothing escapes my brush. I paint into every collage element, creating animals or other subjects full of emotion directly over the papers I've placed on the canvas, bringing the piece to life. I add or alter color. I create depth. I eliminate some details and keep others, blending everything seamlessly into the whole. Finally, I finish the piece with a protective gloss varnish.