As a multi-disciplinary artist, I work in painting, drawing, printmaking and mixed-media sculpture. In my early years I spent a lot of time exploring the outdoors in the upper Midwest, trying to catch a glimpse of reptiles and small mammals. We fished and swam in the abundant Minnesota lakes, and I often hiked with friends along creeks and the riverbanks of the Mississippi. As an adult I have explored the beauty of southwestern parks and nature reserves, observing birds and other wildlife wherever possible. Over time, however, I have observed and learned about the ongoing, devastating loss of species and natural habitats due to human intervention and climate change. I am now an urban dweller based in Los Angeles, but I still have a powerful interest in working with imagery of animals, nature and environmental concerns.

        Conceptually, I find that humans tend to project themselves and their desired or imagined characteristics and emotions onto animals. Preserved in zoos, common to both rural and urban environments, the animals are considered by visitors to be either extraordinary, as pests or even despised, based on human perceptions and imaginings of the value of different species. Through depiction of both the beauty of nature and contemporary environmental problems, I am seeking to challenge these types of emotional and romantic notions about nature within myself as well as other viewers.