SELECTED SERIES
Every Young Woman's Battle
Recently I've been creating pieces that explore growing up in an evangelical church. The full meaning behind this body of work is still a developing idea for me, but it is certainly born out of personal experience. The work expresses my sense of unease related to the sometimes nefarious nature of power when it’s cloaked in an institution of authority and trust, such as the church. God’s delegated order of authority presumed in a fundamental belief system is particularly problematic as it trickles down to the roles and treatment of women. The staunchly held dogma reflect larger, troublesome societal norms related to gender that are alive and well in many circles today.
Angiospermae et Natura
Occasionally, when we're bogged down deep with worry, we just want to escape and take a visual cue from the beauty of the natural world around us. I use my travels and research to develop a representative narrative that I hope will open our minds to philosophical ideas about our own connection to nature and beyond.
​
Sometimes this takes leads me to iconography related to plant defense mechanisms that are often scattered throughout my work. Defense mechanisms in plants often manifest themselves as impenetrable barriers or adaptations such as the thorns of the rose. To me, these plant devices are a metaphor for the psychological strategies humans use for emotional security.
​
​
Canis Lupus familiaris
Inspired by other artists such as Jamie Wyeth, Evelyn McCorristin Peters and, of course, George Rodrigue’s fabulous Blue Dogs, I often return to an attempt to capture the whimsical character of dogs - as we should all aspire to be as carefree, faithful and loving as our beloved canine companions. I completely concur with my fellow Oklahoman Will Rogers when he said, "If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went."