“The forest is the place I start my exploration. I find a direct reference to the human figure in trees. Trunks become bodies, branches embracing arms. Flesh tones a representation of stripped down forms. I see the forest as birthplace. Where modern man and woman can go back to the Earth Mother to be reborn. In this rebirth, we are able to make a connection to the past that move beyond everyday relationships, bringing one to an enlightened state of being.”

This Delicate Area
As an Artist I challenge society’s negative responses to the body and gender. The
stigmatisms attached to sex, sexual functions, and genitalia are all questions I raise to the viewer. Through tactile elements incorporated in my drawings and prints, I reveal the core aspects of my research and what drives me to create.

The female body, nature and Goddess worship are the three main elements of my work. These elements are then expressed by the physical manner in which I create a piece. I use materials that represent the fragility of the body, more specifically the womb. The womb stands at the base of my research, acting as a nurturing foundation for exploration and allowing the work to grow. From this exploration of the self, I then turn outward and find an immediate connection with nature. It is through this spiritual connection between woman and nature that I link my passion to Goddess worship.

The parallels between content and materials are an important element of my work, basing my aesthetic decisions and personal expressions of the womb. Tension is created between the materials and the subject by the fragility in which they both hold. It is through wax, earth, plaster, and latex that I encase the drawings and prints. It is this encasement that lures to be touched. Thru the use of translucencies and veiling, the viewer is further seduced by the piece. The caution that the viewer brings, the hesitation to stroke the surface, reflects society’s guilt about sexuality and the sexual self.

Tapping into the subconscious, working on instinct, using primal feelings and developing this connection from within are combined to serve as an emotional release. Through physical movement and repetitiveness a purging of energy occurs releasing internal conflict. By using personal symbols and prayers, my work becomes an offering, a reflection of not only my faith, but of myself.

“In nature I find a place to heal. Deep within me there is a primal rhythm that has always existed. In nature I find solace, where others may turn to the church, I worship within the solitude of trees. In nature I find hope, and escape from a world full of despair and futility. The forest is the place I begin, and from there I reach out and discover the answers.”

Education
MOORE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Two Dimensional Fine Arts
Graduation: May 1999

TYLER SCHOOL OF ART, Philadelphia, PA
Masters in Fine Arts in Printmaking
Fall Semester 2001

Transferable Skills
WOMEN’S CAUCUS FOR ART, Philadelphia, Pa
Member Since 2004
HIGHWIRE GALLERY, Philadelphia, PA
Co-op Member Since December 2003
TYLER SCHOOL OF ART, Philadelphia, PA
Graduate Committee, Printmaking Student Representative, Fall 2001
CREATIVE CHARATERS, Philadelphia, PA
illustrator and offset printing press operator, December 2000-June 2001