As a Salt Lake City native I have great passion for the mountains and desert of Utah as well as a love of art. I received a Bachelor of Fine Art with an emphasis in painting and drawing from The University of Utah in 2007. Since graduation I have been heavily influenced by Gothic and Renaissance art, animal symbolism, the outdoors, traditional western and southwestern imagery, and Folk Art from around the world.

The subject matter in my work has personal meaning and symbolism, and typically are things found in nature. I love to paint animals, birds, plants, insects, and the human heart, and tend to revisit these things time and time again. In my work I strive to give depth and texture to each piece by drawing and painting on canvas, cutting it out, then attaching it to a stretched canvas or board. I aim to combine materiality, color, and patterns in my paintings, as well as constructing unusual and contemporary shapes and textures for the picture plane.

I enjoy creating unique pieces of art that have personal symbolism and meaning of my own, but I also find joy in working with clients to create personal and symbolic commissioned pieces that are meaningful to their new owner. It is exciting to see my work and process evolve over the years, and I am pleased that my pieces have developed into a series of eclectic, mixed media paintings that combine different mediums, artistic styles and concepts that continue to inspire and drive my evolving style forward.

Over the past several years I have developed a love of teaching art to both children and adults. My classes combine experimentation with material and inspiration from art history and nature. It is of utmost importance to me to encourage my students in a positive manner while providing a creative, safe, and inclusive environment for everyone. I find joy in watching my students create, explore, and express themselves and I’m thankful for their interest and inspiration in my life and my art.

It is vital for me to feed my own artistic appetite and simultaneously create a sense of community and therapeutic/ creative freedom for my students. Most of all, it is important for me to share my passion for art, art history and nature, and to create work and classes that I am proud of.