I combine principles of design and illustration in my multimedia works, favoring watercolor, pen and ink, and colored pencils. I have a progressive chronic illness that is not terminal, but it will likely shorten my life. Because of this experience, I often think about death, the human body, and anatomical symbolism. Folklore and fantasy have played a significant role in my life as an escape from the weariness of life with illness. I illuminate my emotions and concepts like a manuscript as an object of contemplation and devotion.

 

My works reflect elements of folk stories with a sense of realistic emotion. I draw on themes of identity, death, mental turmoil, and the natural world.

 

The cycle of life, death, decay, and rebirth manifests often and in several different ways in my work. I consider how they may be represented literally or symbolically as a representation of how feelings change over time. The process of grief doesn't have to be about literal death but can be applied to any kind of loss. Fantasy and folklore have been used as allegories for the human experience, so they make excellent vehicles for translating complex emotions to an audience. It is easier to understand conflict as a battle between the internal, the self, and the external, the monstrous "other."

 

There is tension between the bright color palette and the grim subject matter. I play with a balance of meticulous detail and the inherent spontaneity of traditional mediums. Muted, earthy colors give way to intense jewel tones. The human subjects gaze at the viewer, expression ambiguous, to provoke an interaction between subject and audience. Whatever the viewer thinks is happening is sometimes more important than the intention. Identity is about perception.