My work tends to explore symbolism found in nature, faith, and the human figure. I am interested in how simple images can hold layered meaning and suggest stories without fully explaining them. Many of my pieces focus on animals or natural forms, which I use as symbols to reflect ideas about identity, vulnerability, and transformation. I am drawn to strong contrasts, simplified shapes, and compositions that isolate a subject, encouraging the viewer to look more closely. Whether I am working through printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, drawing, or painting, I try to balance control and observation with moments that feel intrinsic and expressive.
I often combine recognizable forms with unusual perspectives or symbolic details to create a sense that something deeper is happening beneath the surface of my work. My process usually begins with observation from life or reference, but the final image becomes more interpretive as I work. Through this approach, I hope my work encourages viewers to slow down and consider the symbolic and emotional weight that ordinary subjects can carry.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself?
Live in the moment, because God has continued to work all things together for His good.
What’s your favorite A+D memory?
I don't know if I could pinpoint one memory. I have spent an innumerable amount of time in the studio, and nothing feels more fulfilling than going to bed at 3:30 in the morning knowing you had a great time with your friends that night preparing for a critique happening in the next five hours. The thrill of knowing that you could have just made your best work.
What was your favorite A+D class?
Painting 2 with Professor K and Ceramics 1 with Professor Benson
What moment, project, and/or critique in your Art + Design career at AU has been pivotal to who you are as an artist or creator?
Probably my crow painting that I did my Sophomore year. I made it after hearing a story about a woman who was having a hard time remembering God in the moments where her future felt uncertain. I tend to grapple with control, and that painting + critique with Professor K taught me so much about what art could mean to me.
What’s next for you? I am the new art teacher at Homeland Park Primary school in Anderson. I hopefully also will be starting Grad school soon in pursuit of a Master of Arts (MA) in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
How do you hope your work makes an impact?
I hope my work inspires others in that I came to school hoping to find a place that valued me and my artwork. I am leaving knowing that I have grown so much in my faith, my understanding of art, and the support of dozens of people who have poured into me over the last four years. As a result, my art means even more to me. It is exploratory and representative of so many areas in my life where I would have never thought possible to display. I hope that is apparent in my work.