Growing up in a tumultuous family environment, I learned to retreat into myself for safety. This led me to adopt perfectionism and a tendency to suppress my true self, a coping mechanism for navigating the grittiness of life around me in an alcoholic home.

But over time and into adulthood, I realized how attempts at inner/outer control came at the cost of being my true self, and shame defined my existence. Freedom had always been going outside to escape the chaos and emotional turmoil, exploring the woods around us in rural northern California, feeling a sense of safety and spirituality in nature that sunk deep into my bones.

My artistic journey has felt like a gradual unbinding from shame, reclamation of my power and granting my spirit freedom of expression. I try to let myself be free on the canvas… to transmute the beauty and healing I experience in nature while also connecting to my inner world. I am so amazed and grateful for the transformational beauty this journey has brought forth from dark places. Through painting, I have been reconnecting to my child self - her joy, her natural confidence, the one who loved the juiciness of life. I wish that kind of freedom for everyone.

My paintings often evoke wonder and playfulness amidst darker backgrounds of rich textures and shadows. Through my work, I hope to inspire a deeper connection both to our inner child selves/the vibrant life force running through all beings and to the Earth we walk upon, invoking care and reverence for both.