MY STORY
I'm fascinated by depth and complexity, both visually and emotionally, and that fascination drives my need to create art.
I usually draw inspiration from nature, as there's something about being outside that unearths deep feelings and distant memories. Falling leaves make me ponder the beauty of rebirth and change. Water reminds me to embrace every stage of life, from torrential downpours to serene moments that seem to flow effortlessly. I've always loved this quote:
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
-Henry David Thoreau
While I haven't gone to live in the woods like Mr. Thoreau (yet), I have taken to my studio with pencils in hand to work on capturing those beautifully deep and complex moments that words can't quite describe.
I work predominantly with colored pencils. They're the only medium I've ever used that gives me the perfect balance of color and precision I'm looking for. I continue to fall in love with them the more I use them. The process of slowly building up layers of color and texture is very meditative. They're also a fantastic exercise in patience, as each original work can take anywhere from 10-35 hours to complete.
I completed my first colored pencil drawing as a timid hobby-artist back in 2012, age 22, and continued making them on the side for four years. I'd wanted to be a professional since childhood, in fact I was voted "most likely to become an artist" in high school, but fear and insecurity got in the way every time I considered going for it. By 26, I was stuck in a management job I was really good at but was miserable. I could feel my intuition telling me that making art was my actual purpose and that I wouldn't be happy doing anything else, so I decided to enter a piece in juried competition. It was my way of testing the universe, I told myself that however my art was received would be my sign of whether or not I could make it. Out of 300 applicants, my work was selected for the live exhibition and won Best In Show. I remember looking up at the sky that night through happy tears and saying, "Ok universe, message received."
Fast forward to now, I've stepped down from my management job and work part time for the company. I have a studio in a gorgeous public art center two miles from my home in downtown Raleigh, NC. I work full time as an artist, have gone on to show in galleries, and have added a few other awards to that first blue ribbon.
I'd love to stay connected and continue to share my journey with you as it continues to unfold. Hop on my email list, and I'll send you updates on whats coming next (new work, shows, anything new and exciting I'm up to).
Publications that have featured my work:
EXHIBITION HISTORY
Group Show . Green Hill Winter Show . December 2020 - January 2021
Group Show . North Ridge Country Club Annual Juried Art Exhibition . February 2020
Solo Show . North Ridge Country Club Gallery Hall . February 2020
Solo Show . Gallery C . December 2019
Group Show . Fine Arts League of Cary . May/June 2019
Solo Show . The Art of Style . May 2019
Group Show . North Ridge Country Club Annual Juried Art Exhibition . March 2019
Group Show . Visual Art Exchange Annual Gala . February 2019
Solo Show . Wake County Express Library . January/February 2019
Solo Show . North Ridge Country Club Gallery Hall . November/December 2018
Group Show . Work of Heart Auction CAM Raleigh . September 2018
Group Show . North Ridge Country Club Annual Juried Art Exhibition . March 2018