My work focuses primarily on the human relationship to the Natural World. Growing up in Colorado I was outdoors constantly as a child, and with the Rocky Mountains as an ever present backdrop, the grandeur of nature was neverlost on me. When I moved to Nebraska to attend college I was worried I would lose this connection. Instead I discovered a new type of beauty, one more quiet and subtle than I had previously known. There are infinitely more bugs here in Nebraska, and the more I was exposed to these fragile beings the more familiar and fascinated I became with them. 

Insects have served as my primary subject matter for the last few years. The concept for this exhibition originated from the parallel I observed between insect wings and stained glass windows, and the spiritual presence that both possess.  I typically use a lot a black in my work, focusing heavily on contrast and shadow. However, this time around I am challenging myself to create pieces that focus on light and color, in order to create an ethereal space that serves as a spiritual conduit to the Natural World. 

In my wall pieces I use a variety of “papers” with varying opacities, thicknesses, and reflective qualities to create complex layered forms. Paper is an essential  material for me as a multimedia artist because it affords a great deal of diverse characteristics, and is capable of producing delicate forms that interact incredibly with light. Light is an invaluable element in these works. As it penetrates and reflects off of various surfaces it generates a transcendent visual and spatial experience.

My found object sculptures serve as relics of the six species of winged insects that are the focus of this exhibition. It is part of my practice when working with natural subjects to include the actual specimen as part of the work. It is a statement of humility, that despite our best efforts as human beings we are incapable of creating something as truly beautiful as the Natural World.