Artist’s Statement

In my work, I attempt to physically preserve the ephemeral through multimedia “vessels”, primarily in the form of floral pressings sealed in glass windows and hand-bound books. These vessels are rooted in collecting fragments of life anchored to memory for presence and continuous growth. They offer the opportunity to reclaim the senses and to connect more intently with our environments.

My floral pressings most often utilize reclaimed glass and modified stained glass techniques to seal floral pressings in specimen-slide-like structures. They are meant to collect a fragment of an temporary observation (such as a thought, emotion, place, experience, person, so on) and serve as a Frame of Reference that aids in slowing down for mindful, intentional living. This process facilitates turning a window into a mirror, which reflects not only the world around us, but the world within ourselves. For any part of life that is collected, it is symbolically stored within the floral specimen and given the opportunity to grow by nourishing them with stories, as well as thoughtfulness.

All of my books are hand-bound, often sewn onto hemp cords, making modern use of traditional medieval bookbinding techniques and natural materials. I primarily mix materials such as leather, wood, paper, plant dyes, and metals to build an ever-dynamic functional sculpture, which will reflect the spectrum of its lives and experiences in addition to those of whom it interacts with. As the book transforms, so too, will you.

When paired together, these two vessel types orchestrate an archive of memory. They can preserve the most ephemeral of moments and be ever-expanding, with no limit to what they can hold. As the vessels persist, are nourished, or collected, they grow into a Garden of their own right. Over time, it becomes easier to distinguish the seasons of life, as the pressings offer a window into the experiences that grow within them and the books archive an extension of the mind. What appears to be a dead floral specimen or a blank page, is actually well-alive, continuously flourishing and blossoming.

In my personal archive (a collection of what I call “Tears”, based on my name and the origins of my project), I regularly walk through the seasons of my own life and see the infinite, interconnected stories, lessons and developments that are held in even the smallest of petals or a single page. I believe that the senses captured are palpable to those who interact with my Tears, even if they cannot be in those scenes themselves. Each one has offered a path of exploration, self architecture, and healing. I hope that those who interact with or collect an extension of my project may find similar paths in their own stories.