my childhood was generally spent attempting to endure the experience. unsure of why i couldn’t effectively mesh with the other children. carrying the weight of burdens much too large for my small frame from the beginning. i’ve always gravitated towards the arts.  using whatever resources available.  attempting to put a voice to the chaos within.  waiting room magazines, school supplies, treasures from my wooded yard, scraps from my father’s workshop—those were the original materials.  whatever was at hand.

creating our family. viewing our home as a canvas. all of my energy has been channeled into these spaces for the last 24yrs. as our children began establishing lives apart from the family, i became increasingly aware of a void—an emptiness left from unresolved trauma and an inability to connect with my truest self. apart from caregiver, what am i? what purpose fills my days and lies waiting in tomorrows?

i began a path of healing that has involved reaching back into the past to wrestle with old wounds and often subconsciously choosing comforts discovered in childhood used to ease traumatic stress.  art as a resource—then and now—to give voice to a woman silently screaming for decades.  with scissors in hand and a desire for peace and wellness, i’ve woven art into the everyday. looking outside of myself and into my natural environment for resources, inspiration. 

collecting images of mushrooms taken on daily hikes around the chattanooga valley. printing and organizing colors and patterns into mixed media pieces. sealed in non-toxic resin to visually preserve and admire the beauty in nature that absolutely abounds. respecting and appreciating it as the original creative expression from which we can find infinite inspiration and wisdom.

this project serves as the fruit of this season of searching—mustering courage, creativity, anything that imparts greater strength and joy into the everyday. my hope is to point others toward this wealthy resource and use a portion of my proceeds to help support the natural spaces that i’ve grown to love.  

please enjoy and be well.