I’m from the mountains of West Virginia, and I feel a strong connection to this landscape. In my most recent work I’ve been exploring that personal connection and reflecting on the ways that people interact with landscape in general. Most of my work features mountainous forms made from handmade cast paper. The work has a delicate presence, balancing these large forms with precise, yet chaotic linear networks that pulse above or below the landscapes. These networks represent an imaginary energy or resonance that radiates from the landscape, interacting with humans and influencing the way we feel in a particular place.

Pathways and walking are also important in my work because one of the main ways we experience place is through the paths we take. I often use sewing in my work represent both metaphorical and physical pathways, because I feel like there is a parallel in the mechanical movement required by both walking and sewing.

My goal in this work is to share my personal connection and experience of place while allowing space for viewers to contemplate their own relationships with places in their lives.

Biography

I am a sculptor, papermaker, and multi-media artist. I grew up in Elkins, West Virginia, and plan on returning there as a practicing artist upon completing my B.F.A. degree from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. Much of my work is inspired by the enchanting landscape and well-woven community I have experienced living in Elkins, and I am committed to giving creative energy back to this community, as well as to West Virginia as a whole.

My work has been exhibited regionally in West Virginia and Maryland, including in the 304 Day Art Show held at Tip Top Coffee in Elkins, WV, curated by Emily Prentice in 2019. My work has been featured in Shepherd University’s juried Student Honors Show three years consecutively, receiving a juror’s award in 2019. I have also contributed to Sans Merci, the art and literary publication of Shepherd University, where my piece Gaudineer Knob From Memory won the award for best art in the 2019 issue.

Other Creative Skills

Drawing, Installation Art Design & Production, Metalworking, Papermaking & Crafting, Public Art Design & Production, Sculpting, Decorative and garment sewing: alterations, creative repairs, etc.