About
Some Things About Me
My Artist journey can be described as trying to shut a door that would somehow always remain ajar. I was led to believe art was not a practical life choice. I spent a lot of time enrolled in classes, chased validation by attaining degrees, hired for jobs and careers, all for the pursuit of things that were like art but not art. No matter how much I tried to seek compromise, none of these choices felt like the right fit. Fortunately, I never gave up on art completely. I kept my starved artist persona alive by studying art at night and weekends at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and by completing a degree in Natural Science Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. I have been working with clients for commissioned work, creating illustrations for professors, and exhibiting my work at various art festivals.
I have always found inspiration in nature. My best memories are those that involved experiencing stuff from the natural world. Amongst trees, grass, streams, and all the inhabitants was where I felt I always belonged. I have always valued the discovery of a salamander under a rock as much as finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. This curiosity for nature became a never-ending desire to create art. Drawing is a kind of discovery connecting me to the essence of nature.
I am not committed to any specific medium, but I tend to gravitate around materials that allow me to replicate detail. I frequently work with color pen and ink, color pencil, watercolor, and acrylic. Recently, I have been creating art using wood and wood pyrography. Sometimes, I create digital art and digital modeling. The materials I choose depend on what I want to communicate about the nature I experience.
My goal is to call attention to things found in nature that are overlooked, for the purpose of reconnecting and experiencing the natural world we are all a part of.
Nature Portraits
Why Nature Portraits?
Throughout history artists have created portraits featuring famous people, beautiful people, family members, as visual reminders of the importance and impact on those around them. By creating art inspired by nature, I seek harmony and introspection by immersing myself into the amazing details of nature. The delicate structure of a butterfly wing, the vibrant spectrum of an autumn leaf, or the seamless balance of grace and strength of a hawk, demand attention and should not be ignored. By creating nature portraits, I hope to share the importance of natural things that have been overlooked or forgotten. My goal is to create art that serves as a visual reminder to disengage from an artificial environment and reconnect to the naturalistic world.
Pet Portraits
A Warm and Fuzzy Tale
I have always been fascinated with animals. My curiosity about their beauty and mysterious qualities has been the motivation for drawing them. My connection to animals and art started before I could write. To my parents’ displeasure, my first solo art showing was a mural of the neighbor’s dog I had scribbled with marker on my bedroom wall. This action may or may not have been what inspired my parents to get a “real” dog, but it was the beginning of an artistic journey. I was forever impressed by my first dog’s loyalty and unconditional love. My dog was was both my protector and my furry brother. His kind soul was my muse and the source of all my inspiration for years to come. Drawing my dog, was a channel connecting me to an essence I could not explain and a way of communicating a reverence for pure love and soul. I continue to this day to connect to animals and pets through art, and it is my wish to share my art with those who have experienced this absolute love.
Follow Me Into The Woods
A Celebration of Trees
Once, nature made something beautiful, strong, sturdy, and awe aspiring. Maybe it succumbed to disease, insect infestation, the relentless pressure of the elements, or perhaps it was cut down because of inconvenience for the purpose of progress or development. I want to return the favor back to trees, and turn the discarded remains of trees into something beautiful as a memorial to their continual greatness.
For a time, I worked as an arborist and was part of a ground’s crew during summer months to earn extra money. I also studied to be a landscape architect, since I always had a love for art and nature. Both of those career paths led me to appreciate the wondrous nature of trees. I noticed the relationship between people and trees varied greatly. I met some who saw value in trees by controlling them to live in artificial confines of garden plan. On the other hand, some saw trees as an inconvenience, cut down and worthlessly discarded into a wood chipper. What I experienced was about making trees “bend” under the will of humans in unnatural way. It all made me nostalgic for a simple appreciation of trees for the sole purpose of enjoyment. Witnessing the majesty of trees is invigorating and exciting. I have been inspired to relay nature’s primal call from the forest by combining artistry with discarded trees to create art that pays tribute to the magnificent trees that have been felled.
“In a Time of Destruction, Create Something” -Maxine Hong Kingston–
When an arborist friend bought a wood mill I was introduced to beauty hidden inside the seemingly mundane exterior of trees. Each tree saved from the wood chipper revealed an extraordinary tale waiting to be told. When the wood of discarded trees is sliced thin and sanded, something beautiful happens; like fingerprints unique only to each specimen particular characteristics are unveiled. In certain red maple wood, the stress caused by insect damage causes the tree to make abstract blue streaks in the grain. The color and natural design of cedar (not to mention the heavenly scent) begs for exploration. The light color and softness of basswood makes the ultimate drawing surface. I have been awakened to create art from what inspires me the most about nature, with the awesome grain, patterning, and shape of milled wood. Little did I know that, hidden, just beneath the bark of discarded tree parts, was a world of artistic opportunity ready to be explored.
I have become devoted to rummaging through piles of wood, finding ones that, although may sound weird, “call” to me. When I answer the “call”, I have the tree parts milled, let them age, sand them, and patiently wait for my imagination to see an image to pop out of its grain. I have chose to use pyrography, wood burning, to bring fourth images. Pyrography is a good fit; like a Phoenix, the wood art is the birth of something inspirational from the flames.
While exploring the artistic possibilities of different types of wood, I discovered unique characteristics of basswood. Basswood, when sanded smooth, allows a soft, clean surface ideal for color pencils. I love how the grain of the wood holds the pigments of color allowing a perfect balance of translucence and opacity. I found this type of wood surface is a perfect match for pet portraits. The wood background is both rustic and neat which compliments the pure soul of pets, encapsulating their kindness and love permanently into the grain. These portraits memorializing the everlasting and eternal bond between humans and beloved pets.
The wood I have chosen for my art, is more than a product or material, but a living entity; a wild and timeless medium that holds inspiration in its grain. I find it fascinating how patterns of growth rings tells a unique tale of each trees’ life. With my art, I want to add something to its growth beyond its demise, and create an awareness of a neglected nostalgia for thoughts of nature and our relation to the natural world.
What's New
New Pyrography Projects
*Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple and Cedar & Color Pyrography Using Ink*
Each piece of art is created using milled wood that has been rescued from becoming wood chip. I especially chose each piece of wood because it has inspired me to “birth” subjects from the woodgrain. One type of wood has become my favorite, it is called Ambrosia Maple. This is not a specific species of tree but red maple that has been infested by Ambrosia Beetles. The wood contains blue streaks in the grain due to discoloration caused by fungi. The fungi grow around holes made by Ambrosia Beetles that have bore into the tree, staining the wood. I find the natural grain has as much relevance to the art as the pyrography I add. I prefer wood that has imperfections because the patterning allow the subjects of my art to be surrounded by a unique environment; it is as though the tree is a partner to the art I create.
I have been wanting to add color to my pyrography art to add dramatic effect. I have experimented with color pencil and acrylics but they, in my opinion, both tend to be too opaque for my preference and take away from the delicate detail of pyrography. I found that color ink is absorbed by the woodgrain and has a vivid translucence that compliments the detail of pyrography without covering up the sharpness of the wood burn tones.
Lone She-Wolf Howling
Pyrography on Red Cedar
When I first saw this piece of wood, there was no doubt in my mind that a howling wolf would emerge. During its completion, I have been drawn into the symbolism of the “lone wolf”. My new art journey has been similar to the lone wolf calling for members of a dispersed pack. I create art that speaks to me and begs to be put out into the public to hopefully inspire members of a “pack”. Everything from finding the wood to the process of completion has been mysterious. Both wood and image compliment each other in every way; the shape of the wood echoes the open mouth of a howling wolf and the grain of the wood follows the pattern of the wolf’s fur. Consciously I added very little to this piece, inspiration did most of the work, I just followed along.
“If you don’t learn how to howl, you can never find your tribe.”
The Guardian Barred Owl
Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple
A friend, who is an arborist sent me a photo of a barred owl that was perched in a tree alongside the one he was pruning. The owl remained in the tree the entire time he worked as if to supervise his actions. I read recently that many barred owls are being culled to preserve other species of owls. I find it ironic that humans disrupt the balance of nature and then punish species that thrive in the adverse environment they have created. I was inspired by the two knots in the piece of wood as well as the wood grain which both emulated the branches and bark of a tree. The natural patterning of the wood made the perfect place for my barred owl to emerge and take form. The guardian will forever occupy and protect the beautiful woods he is etched into.
Red Tail Hawk
Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple
I saw this hawk sitting in a tree in my yard. He arrived after a neighbor insisted on cutting (butchering) branches of a beautiful linden tree that were leaning over their property line. How ridiculous! After the horrible attempt of pruning, this hawk perched on the wounded tree for months. It goes to show how nature will find a way to return balance to mindless human interference. The knot found in the piece of wood was reminiscent of the severed branch of the tree the hawk would visit. I used the grain of the wood to create a tree for the majestic hawk to perch. The red tail hawk epitomizes the beauty and strength of natures’ endurance beyond the finite scope of the human world.
Morning Dove Couple
Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple
I enjoy observing Morning Dove couples perched in a tree outside my window. Their gentle demeanor and meekness seem no match for the elements, but they are always together, steadfast and persistent, every day throughout each passing season. I find it heartwarming and comforting that even the most unassuming creatures have a special companion to accompany them through peaceful times and adversity. Their bond is their strength. The unique patterns and grain of this special piece of wood reminded me of tree branches where the doves perch to face everything the world throws at them, together and unwavering.
"Hello World" Crocus
Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple with Color Ink
An idyllic indication of spring is seeing a crocus emerging from the bare lifeless ground. I decided to use color ink to spotlight the purple flower from the monotone background of the earth and the grain of the wood. I admire the courage of a crocus, such a delicate flower given the task of breaking through a thawing landscape into a harsh unfamiliar environment. Such vibrant color and life bursting into the scene for a brief short-lived moment.
The humble crocus is a colorful reminder of hope of a new season of possibilities.
The Daffodil Teacher
Pyrography on Ambrosia Maple with Color Ink
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.”
Anais Nin
With the arrival of spring the daffodils are one of the first flowers to bloom. There were two daffodils, one more mature and one that was coming into bloom. In the serenity of the moment of new spring beginnings, it was as if the mature flower was imparting wisdom onto the young blossom.
I used ink to color the flowers because of the ink’s delicate saturation into the grain of the wood. It was just enough color to highlight the quiet sagacity of daffodil teachings.