I have always loved painting portraits, and began creating portraits using a mixed-media collage approach in 2023. I instantly fell in love with the new opportunities I discovered for creating narrative through the collage elements I included. Whether accidental or intentional, each item included contributes to the overall story that the portrait tells. Equally compelling (but much less visible) is understanding the countless layers that exist beneath what is ultimately visible on a finished piece. Every portrait in this growing collection - just like every person we meet in our every day lives - is a collection of small moments and experiences that create who they are. Some are visible and some are internal - all are important parts of the whole.

Aesthetically, I am also extremely drawn to a density of pattern and layers. Working with these media - paper, fabric, thread, beads, paint, ink, and objects - allows me to more deeply explore patterns and layers and push past the limits that I experience when creating in paint.  The end result feels like a more authentic reflection of who I am as an artist and as a person, and better represents the way I experience the world around me.

"Vibrant & Wild" is a collection of animal portraits that captures and celebrates nature's small moments and fleeting details before they vanish. Animals, while often mysterious, can also reflect pieces of our own humanity through a quick glance, stance, or subtle cock of the head. Noticing these moments does not always happen naturally. This collection highlights the connections we share with the animals who inhabit our environment (and, sometimes, our homes). Whether quirky, calming, or a bit irate - understanding animals can help us better understand ourselves, and contextualize our experience in the broad world around us.

In 2023, my family moved from Baltimore City to Harford County. After a truly wonderful experience for two decades in the city, it was time for a new chapter. The distance was not great, but the change to our daily life felt dramatic. After our move, I became keenly aware of the everyday things I came to love deeply about my adopted hometown of Baltimore, as well as the things I have begun to love about the new, more rural place my family now calls home. Driving back and forth daily, I found beauty in the stark contrasts which allowed me to love them both. I would take quick, unplanned photos at red lights, or hand my phone to my kids to take a picture on our drive. From these unpolished snapshots I found images that reflected the raw beauty and character of the two places I think of as home, and have used them as references for this series. With relief, I have learned that you don't have to choose between being a City Mouse and a Country Mouse - one person can actually be both.