About the Artist

When I was a kid, I got in trouble for doodling on the desks at school. Even now I will look down at a napkin or a piece of cardboard after a phone conversation and discover dancing lines that form an image.

The natural world is a constant inspiration for my artwork. I went on countless backpacking and canoeing trips with family and friends. I grew up in the wilderness, and I try to find myself there as much as possible.

I love the flow of drawing and painting from what I see. It is like telling the truth about a thing. Or one of many.

I also love what is unseen: the mystery of what lies behind stars, beneath mountains and memory. I listen to the song of what we love and abhor in a rainbow pool of motor oil. I am both terrified and intrigued by climate change, entropy, and forgetting. If you tilt your head even just a little, it can all look different.

I use graphite and charcoal, pen and ink, oils, acrylic, and watercolor. While mostly self- taught, I honed my techniques at Grinnell College (IA), the University of Arkansas, and the University of North Carolina. I also trained at the Fine Arts League of the Carolinas (Asheville, NC), and at Penland School of Crafts (NC).

I was born and raised in Nashville, but I have lived in Iowa, California, Arkansas, North Carolina, Cameroon, and Namibia. I have taught art to middle and high school students, assisted in a glass studio for several years, and worked as a carpenter. I also write poetry and play guitar.