Stories In Us 2019
"Stories in Us" is a series of drawings displaying my observations between people who are familiar with one another. This work attempts to make visible the intimate connection between people and their independence from them.
Laced within these landscape portraits are objects and references creating a personalized iconography. These artifacts were deliberately chosen to build toward a narrative, one which is intended to be both readable to the audience and secretive.
"Stories in Us" uses a concoction of realism with flat shapes and patters to further reflect the complexity and richness of human relationships. Varying methods of drawing and painting are applied to create a diverse skin or surface of the piece to amplify the reality of human relationships. Some materials include: pastel, ink, acrylic, graphite, marker, charcoal, watercolor, color pencil, resin, glitter, and sequins.
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My Undies and Beneath My Skin
American culture does not see the full spectrum of female behavior. I explore the culture of femininity through the lens of the functioning female body. The last two bodies of work "My Undies" and "Beneath My Skin" specifically explore the female experience through the visually imagery of female underwear and pregnancy.
My Undies 2016 - present
The reality of women’s underwear seems to be one big dirty secret. The American public is exposed to a single type of women’s underwear, the sexy and the cute. These garments are stringy, lacy, silky and well hated by the vagina. The truth is, many women’s underwear is roomy, made of cotton, and filled with years of period stains. The “underwear” drawing series attempts to take these daily garments out of hiding and describe them as sacred in its golden frames and beautiful in the luscious detailing.
Beneath My Skin 2012 - present
My pregnancy and delivery was highly transformative in understanding the female body and it's relationship to the natural world. I created a series of drawings to examine the forgotten and neglected connection between the female tactile body and wild nature. To accomplish this, I fused images of human organs with budding flowers, ribbons and butterflies to appear as a singular functioning unit.
Swollen buds, blooming lilies, decorative butterflies are all visual elements suggesting feminine beauty and grace. Those elements paired with high claustrophobic detailing, tightening of ropes, and grotesque veiny placentas, all point to the dichotomy and complexity of the feminine body and spirit.
Through pregnancy and delivery I was reminded of the strength, the resilience, the forceful unending push of nature, and how those feminine qualities are intrinsic to me as a female. My hope is that these drawings can function as a gentle reminder of that strength.
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Fam Farm 2010 - present
The series Fam Farm reflects in a calm, gentle manner the loss of natural farming within westernized culture. Genetic modification, factory farming, as well as deceitful packaging and misguided labeling results in confusion and a disconnection between customer and the source of their food. Each drawing describes animals, which are regularly used by humans, to be wrapped in flowing pink ribbons and balloons. These synthetic pretty objects operate to suggest manipulative tactics within the packaging and labeling of food. Besides ribbons and balloons, the influence of humans behavior upon these animals can be seen through plucked and exposed areas of an animal, an overproduction or misuse of hair/wool, and the fistula (access into the stomach hole) of a cow.
The short-lived and harsh existence of farmed animals is a sobering discussion. For that reason, the work is constructed in a non-threatening and often playful or humorous manner. The pastel colors, medium scale, and narrative appeal are tactics of gentle persuasion for the awareness of animal treatment and conscious abundance of human consumption.
________________________________________________________________
Highly Embarassing Sappy Shit, I make no apologies 2009
This drawing series considers the cliches and perversions within the confines of monogamous love, given the freedoms to share ones unadulterated and absolute self, unconsciously.
The substitution of elephants for the human body was in an attempt to create a visual expression of sexuality and love, barring the application of any accustomed westernized female or male physical guidelines of beauty and sex. The elimination of the physical human form was also in effort to eradicate any sense of self-awareness. The lack of self-consciousness and vulnerability when replacing physical human form gave way to the possibility of exposing one's absolute self, their secrets, and inevitable perversions.
Each image displays an act of humorous oddity engaged between two unconditionally accepting animal forms. To further imply the natural unwavering acceptance of the others true self, the series was drawn in a quiet monochromatic pallet, an intimate size format, and infused with richly tantalizing details in hopes to celebrate the revealing and acceptance of our lovers and our own personal imperfections.
________________________________________________________________
Prickled Lilly Perch 2007
"Within the cycles of existence, we should experience ourselves as elements of greater unity." Bill Viola
The Prickled Lilly Perch series illustrates and studies the cyclical system of birth, life, and death. These graphite drawings imply a sense of human unity within the cycles of existence and investigate birth, life, and death through multivalent, polar conditions. My work explores the extremes of the human condition through symbols and structures that allow viewers to confront their own mortality with relative ease and a sense of grace. Questions like - Who am I? Why am I here? - are a result of my awareness of a physical beginning and end. My work poses no answers to these issues, but functions as a device to meditate and reflect on mortality and the cycle of existence.
I chose a visual language of whimsy, subtle narration, symbols, decoration and delicate detailing to contradict and undercut the psychological and emotional content of birth and death. In addition, this series references the absurd, ironic combination of innocence and morbidity within children's book. A strategy which can be similarly seen within Edward Gorey's Gashleycrumb Tinies and Maurice Sendak's Outside Over There.
The Prickled Lilly Perch series utilized the conventions of drawing to create intimacy and a sense of calm. To achieve this, I made these drawings to be small in scale with an achromatic palette. Also, I preserved large amounts of white space, allowing visual breathing room, simplifying form and structure.
"Stories in Us" is a series of drawings displaying my observations between people who are familiar with one another. This work attempts to make visible the intimate connection between people and their independence from them.
Laced within these landscape portraits are objects and references creating a personalized iconography. These artifacts were deliberately chosen to build toward a narrative, one which is intended to be both readable to the audience and secretive.
"Stories in Us" uses a concoction of realism with flat shapes and patters to further reflect the complexity and richness of human relationships. Varying methods of drawing and painting are applied to create a diverse skin or surface of the piece to amplify the reality of human relationships. Some materials include: pastel, ink, acrylic, graphite, marker, charcoal, watercolor, color pencil, resin, glitter, and sequins.
________________________________________________________________
My Undies and Beneath My Skin
American culture does not see the full spectrum of female behavior. I explore the culture of femininity through the lens of the functioning female body. The last two bodies of work "My Undies" and "Beneath My Skin" specifically explore the female experience through the visually imagery of female underwear and pregnancy.
My Undies 2016 - present
The reality of women’s underwear seems to be one big dirty secret. The American public is exposed to a single type of women’s underwear, the sexy and the cute. These garments are stringy, lacy, silky and well hated by the vagina. The truth is, many women’s underwear is roomy, made of cotton, and filled with years of period stains. The “underwear” drawing series attempts to take these daily garments out of hiding and describe them as sacred in its golden frames and beautiful in the luscious detailing.
Beneath My Skin 2012 - present
My pregnancy and delivery was highly transformative in understanding the female body and it's relationship to the natural world. I created a series of drawings to examine the forgotten and neglected connection between the female tactile body and wild nature. To accomplish this, I fused images of human organs with budding flowers, ribbons and butterflies to appear as a singular functioning unit.
Swollen buds, blooming lilies, decorative butterflies are all visual elements suggesting feminine beauty and grace. Those elements paired with high claustrophobic detailing, tightening of ropes, and grotesque veiny placentas, all point to the dichotomy and complexity of the feminine body and spirit.
Through pregnancy and delivery I was reminded of the strength, the resilience, the forceful unending push of nature, and how those feminine qualities are intrinsic to me as a female. My hope is that these drawings can function as a gentle reminder of that strength.
________________________________________________________________
Fam Farm 2010 - present
The series Fam Farm reflects in a calm, gentle manner the loss of natural farming within westernized culture. Genetic modification, factory farming, as well as deceitful packaging and misguided labeling results in confusion and a disconnection between customer and the source of their food. Each drawing describes animals, which are regularly used by humans, to be wrapped in flowing pink ribbons and balloons. These synthetic pretty objects operate to suggest manipulative tactics within the packaging and labeling of food. Besides ribbons and balloons, the influence of humans behavior upon these animals can be seen through plucked and exposed areas of an animal, an overproduction or misuse of hair/wool, and the fistula (access into the stomach hole) of a cow.
The short-lived and harsh existence of farmed animals is a sobering discussion. For that reason, the work is constructed in a non-threatening and often playful or humorous manner. The pastel colors, medium scale, and narrative appeal are tactics of gentle persuasion for the awareness of animal treatment and conscious abundance of human consumption.
________________________________________________________________
Highly Embarassing Sappy Shit, I make no apologies 2009
This drawing series considers the cliches and perversions within the confines of monogamous love, given the freedoms to share ones unadulterated and absolute self, unconsciously.
The substitution of elephants for the human body was in an attempt to create a visual expression of sexuality and love, barring the application of any accustomed westernized female or male physical guidelines of beauty and sex. The elimination of the physical human form was also in effort to eradicate any sense of self-awareness. The lack of self-consciousness and vulnerability when replacing physical human form gave way to the possibility of exposing one's absolute self, their secrets, and inevitable perversions.
Each image displays an act of humorous oddity engaged between two unconditionally accepting animal forms. To further imply the natural unwavering acceptance of the others true self, the series was drawn in a quiet monochromatic pallet, an intimate size format, and infused with richly tantalizing details in hopes to celebrate the revealing and acceptance of our lovers and our own personal imperfections.
________________________________________________________________
Prickled Lilly Perch 2007
"Within the cycles of existence, we should experience ourselves as elements of greater unity." Bill Viola
The Prickled Lilly Perch series illustrates and studies the cyclical system of birth, life, and death. These graphite drawings imply a sense of human unity within the cycles of existence and investigate birth, life, and death through multivalent, polar conditions. My work explores the extremes of the human condition through symbols and structures that allow viewers to confront their own mortality with relative ease and a sense of grace. Questions like - Who am I? Why am I here? - are a result of my awareness of a physical beginning and end. My work poses no answers to these issues, but functions as a device to meditate and reflect on mortality and the cycle of existence.
I chose a visual language of whimsy, subtle narration, symbols, decoration and delicate detailing to contradict and undercut the psychological and emotional content of birth and death. In addition, this series references the absurd, ironic combination of innocence and morbidity within children's book. A strategy which can be similarly seen within Edward Gorey's Gashleycrumb Tinies and Maurice Sendak's Outside Over There.
The Prickled Lilly Perch series utilized the conventions of drawing to create intimacy and a sense of calm. To achieve this, I made these drawings to be small in scale with an achromatic palette. Also, I preserved large amounts of white space, allowing visual breathing room, simplifying form and structure.