Artist Statement

I spent most of my free time outside as a child, and my work is influenced by the natural environment I grew up in. I am inspired by the flora and fauna of Arkansas that I encountered in my childhood, and that I am still surrounded by today. I have long-standing familial roots in the Ozarks, so I am also inspired by the mountains and the Buffalo River. I take inspiration from the embroidery and sewing of my ancestors, and from contemporary artists like Lisa Thorpe and Anne Brooke.

I work with fabric, paper, charcoal, embroidery, watercolor, pastel, and sewing to create multimedia collages. Some of my works have fabric backgrounds that were sewn together on my antique sewing machine, and some of them have paper bases that have appliques glued or sewn onto them. I combine thread, fabric, and paper to make the bases of all my collages, and then add elements on top of the same materials.

I create depictions of natural spaces, plants, and wildlife in my work that have meaning and influence in my life. I use thrifted and upcycled fabrics in my pieces so that my work is sustainable for the environment I am so inspired by. I often go thrifting and looking for fabric scraps in craft stores to find inspiration for my pieces.