I am a painter, muralist, and conceptual artist living and working in New Orleans. ​I paint tonal landscapes, often using pigments from the land itself.  My paintings explore the parallels between humanity and nature, including our past and present relationship to the land. 

I graduated from Skidmore College in 2009 with a degree in Art History and Studio Art. I have worked closely with artist Oliver Herring to host three iterations of his relational works, “Task Parties,” and have also been involved with the Turnaround Arts program through President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. I have participated in multiple exhibitions in New York and New Orleans, and my paintings and commissions have been sold to collectors internationally.

I am also an educator, activist, and mother. My partner Josh and I have two little ones, Jade and Hazel. 

Describe your art in three words.     

layered, earthy, contextual

Describe yourself in one word.

observant

What do you love the most about creating art in New Orleans? What particular part of your immediate environment, in your neighborhood specifically influences your work?     

You can't beat the wild foliage of New Orleans, the low-hanging clouds, or the neighborly vibes.  The natural landscape inspires me because its beauty often stands in contrast to and in defiance of the ugly human actions of the past and present. 

Describe your creative process. Are there any rituals or rites of passage you exercise before you begin a new piece?     

I often like to start a piece by collecting the earth of the place I'm depicting. I grind it down and then use the pigment to create paint. It's a time-intensive process but it makes sense to me for a couple reasons: 1) natural colors help create an authentic sense of place (the soil is never just brown), and  2) the earth itself has witnessed the relatively fleeting human events I often reference in my work, so its presence in my work helps connect to the memory of a place. 

After I make the natural pigments, I create a limited palette to compliment the earth tones. I make a small sketch loosely based on historic photographs or maps, and then use my sketch as a reference for the larger painting.

Where do you draw inspiration?

Lately, I've been trying to make sense of the chaos by finding parallels between human behavior and patterns in nature (I'm writing this in Sept 2020, for context). When the human systems we've created feel especially insurmountably, harmful, and entangled, I find comfort in thinking of the even grander natural systems that will outlast our impermanent social constructions.

Who are your artistic influences or gurus?

Rothko, Heather Day, Dario Robleto, Félix González-Torres. That's a very random and incomplete list.

In New Orleans, art and music go hand in hand. What type of music, band or song lyric best describes your work?

Somewhere in between Tank & the Bangas and Anders Osborne.

Where can we find you when you are not creating art?     

Writing anti-racist history curriculum or hanging out with my family.

What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year.     

A spring morning when Mardi Gras is just around the corner.

What is something people don’t know about you? A fun fact.   

I used to Irish step dance competitively - curled hair, high socks, brocade dress, the works!

All works listed online are available to be viewed at Where Y’Art Gallery by appointment.

Please allow ~2 weeks for original paintings and cotton rag prints, ~4 weeks if stretched and framed. All packages are shipped within the Continental United States through the USPS via Priority Mail with Tracking and Insurance.

For international shipping prices, rush orders or commissions, please log in and send me a private message through the messaging tool on my profile page.