Artist's Statement: 

Through my artwork, I seek to create a connection with the viewer and evoke something within them.

Typically, I utilize natural objects as a vehicle for communicating an idea. However, with this body of work,

I used artifacts of my youth to tell my story.

“Pieces of Me” is a collection heavily inspired by the Kurt Vonnegut quote “Everything was beautiful and nothing hurt.”

It serves as a time capsule of life before motherhood, mortgages, and adult obligations when I was simply just me.

Throughout the creation of this series, I realized that these seemingly trivial things can become vessels for memories of the

most sacred experiences in our history. My intention was to elevate them in watercolor and gold leaf to the level they

are elevated in my memories. Through these iconic objects buried deep within me, I aim to create a visual experience that

transports the viewer to a time when everything seemed vibrant and full of possibilities.

This work not only represents the joy, creativity, potential, rebellion, and invincibility of youth but it also

holds the people and places that have formed the earliest version of me.

By intertwining the sentiment of Vonnegut's words with the visual elements of 80's and 90's nostalgia,

my artwork becomes a celebration of the past, a reflection on the present, and an invitation to contemplate the future.

It is my hope that viewers can find solace and inspiration in the juxtaposition of innocence and complexity, as they immerse

themselves in a world where everything was beautiful, even if nothing truly was without its challenges.