My artwork is influenced by nature. When I'm not painting or drawing, I spend most of my time exploring the outdoors. When I encounter something that I find particularly inspiring, I will investigate further what it is exactly about that plant or animal that I find so intriguing, relatable even through art making. I enjoy studying and replicating textures, feathers, patterns, and colors for hours. When I paint or draw, I am happy to spend that time with my subject as I feel it helps me to understand it just a little bit more. My goal is to encourage the viewer to spend more time appreciating the various creatures we share our environment with, and to have some empathy towards them and our shared environment. After all, we have more in common than you may initially think.

I grew up in rural Garrett County Maryland- just a few steps from the West Virginia border, right smack in the middle of the woods. Literally. I had no siblings to help occupy my time as a child, and was part of the generation of kids where technology hadn’t completely overtaken. Besides, the wifi available to us was too slow anyway. So, I resorted to the woods around me where I would explore, collect, and investigate products of the Appalachian nature I have called home. 

I studied Art Education in college in Greensburg Pennsylvania. It is here I learned how art can be a powerful tool to relay a message. I learned how to look deeper at artwork, and learned that sometimes when you look at art, you can be looking at a reflection of yourself. The ideas you find rising to the surface can encourage personal discoveries. 

In 2023, I moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where I am learning about new ecosystems and their inhabitants. Here, I find myself investigating a new environment and different species using the same lens of life. Always asking questions and longing to find out more. There is so much to learn from our feathery, scaly, furry friends.