Born and raised in rural Kansas, I come from a small town where everyone knows your name and you know theirs too. One thing about little towns is that you really get to know people. You learn where they work, hear about their family, their passions, and you figure out what puts a smile on their face. Me, I learned from a young age that I love art. It started with those brief-case art kits I received for Christmas each year, hand-making birthday cards for friends, building bowls with clay from Kansas creek banks, hand-stitching my own “pillow cats,” and more. I’ve always valued my ability to depict with my hands, whatever my imagination drums up. If ever I can’t find the words to describe what I’m talking about, hand me a piece of paper and I’ll draw it for you. In high school, I discovered the thrill of the 35mm. Exploring, quite literally, the dark side of photography under the dim red lights of the darkroom, my passion for photography was ignited. This led me to the University of Kansas where I completed a BFA in Design with a concentration in PhotoMedia in 2017.
I specialize in photography – documenting my surroundings, capturing a moment, conveying a mood. I can draw just about anything, and ceramics holds a special place in my heart. There’s something about making a physical object with my hands that expresses an idea or makes a statement. It’s my preferred method of learning and teaching, so, collage, mixed media, and sculpture come naturally to me. Until I took a painting studio at KU, I didn’t believe in the whole, “If you can draw, you can paint,” saying. That is, until I painted my dog Cosmo as The Girl with the Pearl Earring! Graphic design is a combination of drawing and computer editing, well I’ve been using digital editing programs since I was in high school, so I consider myself qualified in that department as well. I also have some experience with video editing on programs such as Adobe Rush and Premier Pro that I've used for both personal and commercial purposes. The visual arts in general come naturally to me and I’m always curious to learn new methods, mediums, and tools.
As an artist, I do my best work in the field, seeing with my own eyes, and working with my hands - I like to get my hands dirty. I find this to be the most effective means of obtaining new knowledge and sharing my knowledge with others. We can read text books, online articles, listen to someone tell us how to do something verbally but until we can physically work through a task, experience trial and error, practice, and problem-solve in real time, we don't actually know how or have the confidence to do it ourselves. I believe in a hands-on approach to art making and using digital aids to enhance my work, add a particular amount of flair, to polish.
"My photography strives to challenge the perception of humanity, to elevate the misunderstood and question the marginalization of rural America. I am mesmerized by the individuals who are satisfied with their current situation and comfortable in their own skin. Using environmental portraiture as a coping mechanism for circumstances in my own life, I capture in others what I perhaps cannot see in myself – perseverance, confidence, benevolence".