This piece began as a sort of meditation on seasons and life cycles. It represents the balance point between light and dark, cold and warmth, and the subtle shifts within ourselves as we transition not just between the months and years, but also through different phases in our lives. The tree serves as a sort of liminal anchor and a reminder to stay calm, open, and grounded as we journey through life. 

Symbols are hidden within the seasons and the tree, most notably the bright little butterfly in summer, the lightest point of the year. It bears personal significance and links to the recurring theme of Pysche in my work. 

"Psyche exemplifies a woman's search for authentic personal growth, a reminder that the integration of our experiences, however sad or frightening they may be, matures and transforms us, much like the symbol of the butterfly emerging into the light from its dark cocoon."

[Note Cards and Poster Prints are Available in the Shop]

So much can be said about the myth of Persephone and the symbols contained within. Like many others, I have been fascinated by the story of Persephone for a very long time. As I grow and change, so do the symbols and meanings that I find within the myth.

This art piece is one that percolated for a couple of years, but the specifics of the illustration recently hit me over the head while I was sitting in traffic of all places. This piece is layered with meaning and personal significance. It draws from my personal thoughts and interpretations of the Eleusinian Mysteries via ritual theatre, The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, Persephone Unveiled by Charles Stein, The Labyrinth by Catherine M. Valente, my role as a parent and mother, and the constant change and evolution within my personal life and creative work.

Since my creative work so often centers on myths and the ebb and flow of the year, the following quote from The Hero with a Thousand Faces sticks in the forefront of my mind. The author delves into the reasons that people revisit, retell, and add their own creative voice to the myths:

"...while all stories have already been told, this is not a bad thing, since the retelling is still necessary. And while our own life's journey must always be ended alone, the travel is undertaken in the company not only of immediate loved ones and primal passion, but of the heroes and heroines—and myth-cycles—that have preceded us."
 

The oaks and the pines, and their brethren of the wood, have seen so many suns rise and set, so many seasons come and go, and so many generations pass into silence, that we may well wonder what the story of the trees would be to us if they had tongues to tell it, or ears fine enough for us to understand.

The original sketch for this oak tree was created for a printmaking teaching demonstration. It was carved into a 5x7 battleship linoleum block and used to print a short-run series on cotton rag paper. After some thought, I was inspired to create note cards from the prints and, later, a miniature pendant version of the same tree by way of a laser cut imprint plate. 

It was as though the sky
had silently kissed the earth,
so that it now had to dream of sky
in shimmers of flowers.

The air went through the fields,
the corn-ears leaned heavy down
the woods swished softly—
so clear with stars was the night

And my soul stretched
its wings out wide,
flew through the silent lands
as though it were flying home.

—Unknown 

This hand-carved woodblock print was inspired by the sun, moon, and stars of the Flammarion engraving, which first appeared in an 1888 book on meteorology. 

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to take my first ever class in ceramics handbuilding. Through that, I also learned how to throw on the wheel, but the focus of my work remained on handbuilding. I found that, above all, working with the clay in my hands could calm me and pull me fully in to the present moment. 

These paintings vary widely in style and subject matter, but all of them served as my deep dive into learning acrylic painting and glazes—especially with the self portrait where I created the canvas frame and stretched it by hand, prepared it, then stared at my reflecting in the mirror in order to begin the underpainting. The skin tones were mixed from a set of primary and secondary paint colors. 

The Wunderkammer series was created for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's limited edition perfume oil series Carnaval Diabolique. The series was unveiled in various acts, each with their own theme and story. Act V, The Wunderkammer, told of the artist Basil Hallward's findings in a cabinet of curiosities. 

There are 15 inked drawings in this series and each one was used as the label for its matching perfume oil blend. 

Featured: Screaming Mandragora, Licwiglunga, Two-Headed Goat, Tabula Smaragdina, Reliquary, Hand of Glory, Winding Cloth, St. Germain's Maltese Cross, The Devil's Contract, Pickled Imp, Shrunken Heads.

The Wheel of the Year was a study on the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons and is dedicated to my late friend Jeff. It is divided into eight celebrations that flow from one to another until an entire turn of the year has been completed. 

Sold as limited run note cards and sets. Originals were done on 9x13 archival art paper with colored pencils.

I think roots are important, to remember and honor where you've come from even as you look forward to where you might be going. I'm sharing two examples of my early work; they were done between age 11-13.