Artist’s Statement

 

My love of nature was nurtured by my mother, Madeline, who is 96 years old. She taught my brother and me about growing our food and planting extra for the rabbits, deer, chipmunks and the occasional elf or unicorn.

 

We grew up in rural Western Pennsylvania and vacation was always “going to the mountains” to a cabin on 35 acres of woods in central Pennsylvania. There was neither running water nor electricity and my first painting was a mural on the outhouse! Nature sparked our creativity—we visited local state parks, forests, rivers and creeks. I am so grateful for those formative experiences in nature, and the idea that these natural resources might not be available for future Americans is worrisome, to say the least. My intention as an artist is to connect people of all ages to plants and wildlife. The detail in my work may encourage a person to look closely at the structures of leaves, the textures of bark, and the colors of flowers, fruits and berries. Drawings of seeds, pods, and pollinators inspire further questions as to how we are all dependent on nature and each other. Although nature is resilient, the delicate systemic ecological relationships in nature are even today poorly understood, and when even one component is destroyed, the rich inheritance we all share will be lost for further generations. Wildlife will do its part if allowed, and we need to do our part to support it!