There are certain environments that resonate with the cords of my soul and set my spirit free – the smell of aspen leaves during fall as they begin their slow decay, the sound of redwing blackbirds calling from bending cattails, spotting white tails as they run, catching a sunset burst across the sky with brilliant colors, feeling wet river silt and clay in between my fingers and toes.  

As I have reflected on these moments, I have come to a deep sense of gratitude for the tangible, senses-heightening experience it is to be human. So much of who we are and what we encounter is unrefined yet beautiful. 

 

 Throughout this show there are various expressions on these emotions. Unique to this collection is the use of raw clay as the primary textural element. The organic nature of clay and the way it cracks as it dries brings a texture to the surface that exudes natural energy absent from synthetics. Consequently, the painting style I exhibit on the surface is bold and expressive to complement the surface of clay. 

 

In the end, my purpose in this collection is to simply connect with the west as I did when I was a child, with my hands in the mud communicating my encounters with wildlife through contemporary simplicity.