The Story Behind the Work
How I Work
The Root
I grew up in the Ozark hills of northwest Arkansas, surrounded by forest and a lively creek where I spent most of my childhood exploring. That sense of wonder and the feeling of being immersed in nature still finds its way into every painting I create.
Making things came naturally to me. Whether I was drawing, building forts in the woods, or creating tiny worlds from cardboard and imagination, I was always discovering the joy of bringing something into existence.
Just down the road lived my great-grandmother, an artist who nurtured my curiosity from an early age. She taught me that creativity wasn't about getting it right, it was about exploring, experimenting, and paying attention. More than anyone, she showed me that wonder is something we can choose to carry through life.
Today, her influence lives on in my paintings, my teaching, and the creative spaces I hold for others.
The Calling
After earning my degree, I spent seven years teaching art in public schools. I loved watching students discover their creativity and the confidence that came with it.
But each evening, I found myself returning to the studio. Painting became the place where I could slow down, reconnect with myself, and make sense of the world. Over time, I realized it wasn't simply how I spent my free time—it was where I was being called next.
The Morning Everything Changed
The Leap
Ten years later, many of those dreams have become my everyday life. I create paintings, lead art and yoga retreats around the world, and collaborate with collectors to create meaningful large-scale commissioned work. Through it all, I return to the studio each day, still inspired by nature, light, and the quiet moments that invite us to slow down and pay attention.
Colorado has become home for several years, and I'm continually inspired by its mountains, changing light, and wide-open skies. The path here hasn't always been straight, but I've learned to trust where curiosity leads.
What I Believe
Colorado Inspirations
Colorado still feels like a gift every morning. Although I moved here several years ago, this place has been woven into my story for much longer. My family ancestry has deep roots in Colorado, and I spent my childhood visiting often, returning year after year to a landscape that always felt familiar. Moving here felt like coming home.
What I did not expect was how completely Colorado would transform the way I see color. The light here is different. The particular quality of an afternoon in the Rockies, the way alpenglow touches granite, the way a wildflower meadow seems to hold every color at once, continues to surprise me. I came here already loving this landscape, but I did not know how much it would teach me to see. I am still learning.
National Parks and Wild Places
I am continually inspired by our public lands and the places we have chosen to protect and preserve for generations to come. Our National Parks and wild spaces are reminders of our connection to the natural world and our responsibility to care for it. These places hold stories, memories, and moments of belonging for all of us.
Travel and the Wider World
My work has always followed my curiosity. Recently, from Ireland and Peru to the American West and the California coast, I seek out places where light and landscape tell a story. The more I travel, the more I find that the natural world has a way of opening up a sense of belonging, curiosity, and awe. My paintings are a way of preserving those moments.