Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in Jacksonville?
I was born in Texas and spent my early years in the suburbs of Dallas. But, I really grew up when I lived in New York City. We [my family and I] moved to Jacksonville in the summer of 2010, so we have been here seven years now. Before moving to Jacksonville, I lived in SC, NY, OK, and TX.
How and when did you become interested in creating art?
My first exposure to art was in public school. I still remember an elementary school field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art, when I first saw a Giacometti sculpture. I was amazed by the shape, texture, and height of the figure. Thankfully, I had a dedicated and demanding high school art teacher who encouraged me to work hard and to challenge myself. I enjoyed exploring materials and discovering what I could do with them.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Inspiration comes from what I see around me: nature, colors, people, and from life experiences such as having children, and having a new baby when grieving the death of my mother and grandmother. The portrait and human figure are intriguing.
What kind of themes do you explore?
The circle of life is a particularly compelling theme with my simultaneous experience of grief and new motherhood. One of the expressions of this is looking at family dynamics and how we experience each other in this process. My desire is to recognize all of my experience: the light and the dark.
You have quite a bit of teaching experience, how have these experiences shaped your art practice?
My favorite part of teaching is that moment of achievement when a student discovers a new skill or outcome that she/he never knew was possible. This discovery is also a wonderful part of the creative process in my studio work. The creative process is a powerful way to reconcile our experience. It was a privilege to facilitate a memorial art project for families who experienced miscarriage. And, I created a cast iron sculpture as a memorial to honor my grandmother.