From Phoenix, AZ, I am approaching a little over a decade here in Oakland. I’ve been making art seriously now for 10 years, though my formative years have shaped and continue to fuel my creativity when using art as a means of expression. Being creative has always made me feel at my utmost aliveness. As a child, I was prone to cutting my hair off with scissors; an impulse I relate to a form of cleansing. I suppose this was my way of challenging my position in reality.
My work is highly instinctual and meditative. By working with multiple mediums, often what is readily available, I find I am more effective in communicating through my work.
Creating art is a spiritual practice for me. By incorporating plants into my art, I remind myself to root, reach and grow within the creative process. I feel that there are only two ways of being: in a state of growth or in a state of decay. In addition to drawing inspiration from plants, I have become passionate about tending to the care of my plants. This type of active care encourages my sense of growth.
As an embodiment of my dedication to continual growth, I have a lifelong project that will be an undertone and motivating force within my work – making Swings. Hand-painted and crafted, wooden swings that I install on local trails and bike paths. This lifelong project will be called Suspended in a Moment. By creating a functional place for my art within the liveliness that plants offer, I myself feel more alive. It’s subtle, but it builds, like a vibration.