When I was in kindergarten, we made a 'job wheel' where we drew ourselves in different outfits based on the future jobs we wanted. I wanted to be a counselor, astronaut, veterinarian, and artist. Two out of four is not bad! I have a Bachelor's Degree with a major in Psychology and a minor in Art, as well as a Master's Degree in Counseling and a second Master's Degree in Health and Art Education.
I have always made and enjoyed art, and in the last seven years, I have shifted my time and energy toward having art in my life every single day. I have always been interested in living things and why they are the way they are—hence my first career in counseling and education. Through self-reflection and knowing more and more how beneficial art is to me and others, I pushed to have more art opportunities for the students and families I worked with, as well as for myself. I decided to take a bold move and switch careers to teaching art full time. This has been a fruitful shift for me, and my life feels full, fertile, and fabulous. My counseling and education experiences led me to create art that is rooted in my own interests, experience, knowledge, technique, and self-reflection. I also love creating pieces that bring others joy and appreciation of their surroundings. I am interested in the intersectionality of our natural and constructed world. You will see many animals, plants, humans, and everyday objects in my pieces. Art, for me, offers moments to honor the shape and beauty of this planet by reflecting it and interpreting it through my eyes and hands. I am also curious about how to use art to express the invisible challenges that are often vulnerable to bring into the visual realm. My upcoming work is focused on giving my healing journey more momentum through active and intentional honoring of the grief it takes to move through trauma, betrayal, harm and pain. Spending time with a subject is possibly the most valuable gift one can give; time is irreplaceable and limited. Without slowing down and sitting in the puddle of living, I am merely driving through it. Whether human, animal, plant, tool, or technology; being present with life is valuable and of interest to me. I am also an educator, counselor, community member, and human—integrating these roles informs and pushes my art. The scaffolding art can offer as a mender and hope harbinger keeps me firmly entrenched in creating and enjoying its magic. |