From an early age I have always had an uneasy relationship with the concept of memory and more specifically how we remember. So often education involves rote memorization as the primary way to learn about the past. This method often doesn’t provide the clearest picture of the humanity of the situation. However in my observations memory relies heavily on emotions that are often brought forth through visual representation.

Through flashcards and lifeless terminology, early education often trumpets the value of rote memorization in favor of a substantive understanding of our history. Through my work I aim to capture granular details which are often lost through a broad and clinical understanding of the past. The angle of one’s knee as they plod across a beach. The way the light hits a previously-decayed and now refurbished building on a summer day. My art captures banal, and to some, perhaps trivial details, which if lost to time may risk future understanding of how our day-to-day worked. Beyond dots on a timeline representing an important historical event lie the emotions, memories, and actions which can help inform our understanding of that period. My art serves as an advocate for the ordinary.

While my journey as an artist has evolved throughout the years, I have continued to consciously revisit the ability that art has to evoke emotion and allow us to connect and learn from our very unique yet similar lives. Visual art provides a very tactile tool in understanding our past, present, and future. Capturing the present for posterity allows future generations to use what we know as a reference.

Detail is what inspires me, and it is this great fascination with detail that coincidentally manifests itself as art. Photography, as a way of capturing certain colors, textures, or a perspective that is unique to that moment, has always been a source of inspiration. For example, I often use my photographs as groundwork for my paintings, and it is this process which has become a device for my own recollection as I notice new details with every stroke of a brush. Through this process my most recent work centered around a brief stay in St. Ives, Cornwall, turns from a fleeting memory in my photo library to a diegesis immortalized on canvas.

I recently graduated with a BFA from Saint Mary’s College. My concentration was in design which gave me the freedom to explore a variety of art mediums.

I fell in love with water-based media during my final year in college. I had no previous painting experience and very little drawing experience. Drawing and I are still in a love-hate relationship which is why I was shocked that I enjoy painting as much as I do.

I currently paint with acrylic ink but often use watercolors and casein paints as well.

My interest in photography began at a young age. However, it wasn’t until high school that I began taking photos more frequently.

For the past five or six years I have grown to love street, portrait, and product photography.