I ran half wild across the hills and creeks on my parents' farm in southwest Virginia for the first eight years of my life. After being dragged kicking and screaming into the small town where I spent the rest of my childhood, I felt cut off from the close connection to nature that I had experienced previously. Years of searching later, I was introduced to watercolors and began painting nature scenes which represented my kinship to the outdoors. My art has evolved since those early experiences, but has continued to pivot around a nature theme.

Recently, my subject matter has ranged from plants (dead and alive) to insects and mushrooms, all of which I paint larger than life. I work in watercolors, often using gum arabic to increase the brilliancy of colors. I begin each painting with washes of color, then overlay dry-brushed textures and details. I revel in patterns, in surprising flashes of colors, in finding vibrancy in the curve of a leaf. I no longer consider my paintings to be landscapes --- instead, each piece becomes a portrait of a living organism.

Education:

• Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, 2000. B.A. in Biology and Studio Art. Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi.

• Tennessee High School, Bristol, TN, 1996. Valedictorian, Recipient of 1996 National Merit Scholarship and Elks Foundation Scholarship.

Exhibitions:

• 2007. Upcoming show. Wildlife Weekend, Steele Creek Park, Bristol, TN.

• 2005. Member's Gallery of the Arts Depot, Abingdon, VA.

• 2004. Valley Ridge Theatre, Thomas, WV.

• 2000. List Gallery, Swarthmore, PA.

• 2004 - 2006. Individual pieces have also been shown in:

  • Appalachian Art Show, Johnson City, TN

  • Virginia Highlands Festival Fine Art Show, Abingdon, VA.

Fellowship:

• July 2000 - July 2001. Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. Sketched the adaptations of plants to their environments in Great Britain, Australia, and Costa Rica.