My Inspiration
My inspiration comes from all around us. All of what I have seen, explored and become. My art is built upon a lifetime of experiences, adventures, observations and feelings. Each mark I make carries all of my heart and soul. It carries the energy and expression that surrounds and manifests in all things.
Experiencing the wild
Waking up to howler monkeys singing through the jungle canopy of Costa Rica. Swimming with sea turtles in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Watching a black bear feast on berries while enjoying my morning coffee from the window of me Western NC mountain home. A simple walk in the forest to the feeling of sand between my toes on a sun soaked beach. I watched fish swim through a creek in the deserts of Death Valley. I've seen the night sky ignite with the light of a thousand galaxies in Joshua Tree. Stood in awe of the giant sequoia trees, basked in the glory of the red rocks and fell in love with the majestic bison on the plains of Yellowstone. Each experience deepening the connection I have with nature, myself and my art. Adding purpose to the mark I make, more richness to the color I choose and more joy to what I create.
My Process
It all starts with the surface. I use a heavy sanded pastel paper designed to grip and hold the soft pastel. The paper comes on a giant roll, as big as me (now I know what you're thinking. I may be vertically challenged but still. A roll as tall as me!) First we mount the paper to board. This has three main advantages, it gives me a very firm surface to work on. Second, it prevents the paper from warping, wrinkling and bending over time, and finally it adds stability and structural support for framing these large works under glass.
The final touches
Once the painting is complete, it is sprayed with a non-toxic, all natural casein based recipe used by Degas. It’s the only formula I have found to keep my colors exactly as I painted them. Several layers of a light mist are applied over the course of an hour or so, giving proper time for each layer to completely dry before applying the next. After several layers of fixative the pastel is set and ready to be framed. Back to the frame shop it goes to be finished in a soft gold frame. A spacer is placed between the painting and the anti-reflective art glass to preserve all the texture and archival qualities of the soft pastel medium. Thanks to the pure pigments of the pastels each work of art will be forever as vibrant as the day it was brought home.
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Galleries & Shows
Art in Bloom - Gallery at Flat Rock - Flat Rock, NC - Sept 2023 - Juried Group Exhibition
Solo Exhibition - White Side Art Gallery - Cashiers, NC - Aug 2023
Art Santa Fe - Santa Fe Community Convention Center -Santa Fe, NM - July 14-16 2023 - Curated Art Fair
Wild Muse: Animals in Art - Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center - Solomons, MD June - Sept 2023 - Juried Group Exhibition
Solo Exhibition - White Side Art Gallery - Cashiers, NC - June 2023
Southeastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) — Charleston, SC — Feb, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 - Juried Art Fair
Whiteside Art Gallery – Cashiers, NC – June, 2021 – Current
Lucy Clark Gallery – Brevard, NC – Feb, 2021 – Aug, 2022
Four Western Women - 4 Corners Gallery at the Tucson Desert Art Museum — Tucson, AZ — Nov — Dec 2018 - Group Exhibit
Wild - Danville Art Gallery — Danville, CA — Jan — Feb, 2018 - Group Exhibit
Pando Fine Art - Park City, UT – Feb, 2017 – June, 2020
SEWE — Live Painting and Auction — Charleston, SC — Feb, 2017
All Creatures Great and Small - 4 Corners Gallery at the Tucson Desert Art Museum — Tucson, AZ — Nov — Dec, 2016 - Group Exhibit
Gallery 43 — Roswell, GA — Nov, 2016 - Mar, 2017 - Group Exhibit
All creatures Great and Small - Gallery at Flat Rock — Flat Rock, NC — July — Sept, 2016 - Group Exhibit
Art Spark — Live Painting and Auction— Brevard, NC — August, 2016
Red Wolf Gallery — Brevard, NC — May, 2016 — Jan, 2021
44 Main Gallery — Brevard, NC — April - May, 2016 - Solo Exhibit
Pigments of the Imagination — TC Arts — Brevard, NC — March — April, 2016 - Group Exhibit
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Publications and Accolades
Jury Award for Outstanding Work of Art - The Way of the Mother - Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center - 2023
International Artist Magazine — Feb/March Issue 149 2023
SEWE 2023 Event Guide - Feb 2023
Fine Art Connoisseur — Jan/Feb, 2017, 2018, 2022
Pastel Society of America — Juried Member
The Laurel of Asheville — Oct, 2018 - April, 2021 - Oct, 2021
SEWE Art Book — 2017, 2018
Western Art Collector — Feb, 2017Southwest Art — Jan, 2017
The Laurel of Asheville — Cover Artist — October, 2016
Bold Life — Mar, 2016 - July 2016 - Aug, 2016 - April, 2022
B.F.A — Savannah College of Art and Design — 2006