A defining moment prompted this search. While on a walk I noticed a small gray bird. It was drab with a white eye ring. In that moment of observation, this seemingly unremarkable bird appeared extraordinary, and I instantaneously felt profoundly connected to all of nature. After much effort I identified it: a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher! I felt a rush of excitement and joy. This experience, of being directly connected to nature, was a gift, and provided an opening into an astonishing world of biodiversity. I came to understand the essence of a place is its ecosystem, a group of species living in a reciprocal system. A community. This is the focus of my practice. Learn More…

Community

I define place to include natural and human communities and histories, where all species are interconnected ecologically, ultimately merged and unified. Each of my artworks represents my existential relationship with the place that inspired it. I like to pay close attention, to contemplate connections I see and feel as I get to know a site. Site-based communities could include a lakeside ecosystem of fish, birds, and native plants, the insects in a decomposing log, a group of seniors at a community center or a fellowship based around a common theme.