Background

Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a fascination with art. When I was in 3rd grade, I remember being so proud of having my drawing of a cherry blossom tree become a part of my elementary school’s “permanent collection”. Of course, it was just the work of a young kid, but it lit such a fire in me that I started taking as many art classes as I possibly could. In high school, I enrolled in all the art electives, and even took courses outside of school because I just couldn’t get enough. In 2006, I won a Scholastic Gold Key for an abstracted rendition of a Degas painting, and won a few more ribbons at local student art exhibitions.

When it was time to select a major for college, it was so natural for me to pursue art education. I had felt deeply connected to and incredibly grateful for the experiences I had with all of my art teachers growing up, and I wanted to give back to the community in the same way. I graduated from Edgewood College in 2014 with a double major in Art and Culture, and a minor in French, then moved to Grenoble, France right after. After living there for a year, studying French and teaching English, I moved to Sydney, Australia where I completed my Masters in Sustainable Design. This changed my trajectory from teaching art to working in the green building industry.

Fast forward to 4 years later, my creative brain was relentless in trying to pull me back to the arts — and eventually I gave in. I quit my desk job and picked up a paintbrush again… and here we are!

My Artwork and Values

My experience working with sustainability and studying climate change has had a profound impact on who I am today, and subsequently, the kind of artwork I now make. I find myself drawn to creating environmentally focused pieces, primary plants and our human interaction with them, as well as other aspects of the natural world. I am slowly converting my tools and materials in my studio to non-toxic and eco-friendly alternatives, and have lofty goals of running a completely natural art studio, and supporting local environmental groups by donating a percentage of my profits. Finding a way to merge fighting climate change and creating soulful artwork has lit a fire in me and I hope to truly be able to have a positive impact on my community.