My work is born out of the natural world. My earliest memories are outside in the gardens with my mom and grandmother. Gathering buttercups and dandelions while they did the hard work of weeding and pruning. Planting petunias and hyacinths, foraging seed pods from catalpa trees and tiny tomatoes from Turks caps. Sitting in the branches of Mimosa trees. Digging up iris rhizomes and finding little blue and green apothecary bottles.

Whether picking up pecans and harvesting muscadines or plucking blackberries along the railroad track, it’s the bright greens and pinks, blues and yellows of nature that swirl in my memories with the sunny warmth of love and the strength of gentle hands.

When I paint, it’s with these memories and emotions that rouse and stir me, that ignite my movements and bring about images and brushstrokes. These seeds sown so long ago, in mostly forgotten moments, have transformed into the paintings I make today.

For me it’s color that is transcendent, in the way that hue and tone can change an atmosphere. Much like our own worldview, our faith informs our circumstances and sanctifies our inner spirit.

My relationship with art, creative process and specifically paint, has changed many times over the years. As a child I loved playing with color and collage. My parents would often bring me a brown paper bag filled with colorful mosaic tiles. I still love collecting small bits to form a delightful collection.

Later, designing spaces always begins with that one piece I love and from there a whole world of color opens up.

As an elementary school teacher, I loved helping little ones find joy in the creativity that is already there inside them! I’ve learned so much from their whimsical freedom and bold color choices.

When I started painting for myself in 2020, I brought all these experiences to the canvas. Bold colors, freedom from traditional constraints and my own unique perspective to make art that feels hopeful and spirited, flowing from my faith in Truth and Goodness into something beautiful.