Nothing else has influenced me more than my memories of spending hours and hours in my grandmother's basement studio making puppets and stuffed animals, drawings and paintings. This body of work is a way for me to express my deep nostalgia for childhood and my love for collecting, reading, and studying children's picture books. Through the rich and plentiful history of these books, I have learned so much, from technical skills to expressing emotion.? I was inspired by my grandmother and favorite illustrators from childhood to use traditional water-based mediums. The luminance and fluidity that come so naturally with watercolor remind me of the purity and innocence of my first art-making experiences. I still vividly recall being three years old and enjoying the encouragement of my grandmother, a phenomenally multitalented artist, published doll and toy maker, and my biggest supporter.
I chose to use rabbits because the illustrators that inspire me the most are those who bring non-human characters to life. The animal characters seem less exclusive. I can see more of myself in dogs, cats, baboons, etc. than a little boy or little girl, because animals exist in all shapes and sizes and color, negating the prejudices we sometimes have for each other. Additionally, I simply find it more exciting to see a rabbit reading a book than a human!

Nothing else has influenced me more than my memories of spending hours and hours in my grandmother's basement studio making puppets and stuffed animals, drawings and paintings. This body of work is a way for me to express my deep nostalgia for childhood and my love for collecting, reading, and studying children's picture books. Through the rich and plentiful history of these books, I have learned so much, from technical skills to expressing emotion.? I was inspired by my grandmother and favorite illustrators from childhood to use traditional water-based mediums. The luminance and fluidity that come so naturally with watercolor remind me of the purity and innocence of my first art-making experiences. I still vividly recall being three years old and enjoying the encouragement of my grandmother, a phenomenally multitalented artist, published doll and toy maker, and my biggest supporter.
I chose to use rabbits because the illustrators that inspire me the most are those who bring non-human characters to life. The animal characters seem less exclusive. I can see more of myself in dogs, cats, baboons, etc. than a little boy or little girl, because animals exist in all shapes and sizes and color, negating the prejudices we sometimes have for each other. Additionally, I simply find it more exciting to see a rabbit reading a book than a human!

I love antique and vintage toys. As part of an initiative to share some of the wonderful objects in my collection, I've cast some of my favorites in clay and turned them into jewelry! While the cast objects are multiples, each item has been painted uniquely. I use the objects for brooches, as charms on necklaces, on tie pins, on barrettes, etc. I've added other vintage inspired accessories to my repertoire that work in tandem with the jewelry. My newest additions are Peter Pan collars, on which to wear the brooches.