My art is everchanging, constantly shifting in purpose, visuals and techniques. My creations grow and develop with me. I have always been interested in art and the process of creating. It brought me joy, yet within the past few years, it has become a struggle for me. What were once physical issues grew exponentially, leaving me with chronic pain and limited dexterity. The processes and techniques that had served me well were no longer sustainable and sometimes even painful. The joy I received from creating quickly faded. I recognized that something needed to change, so I modified the way I created.
I began to take note of what was sustainable to me and what was not. My current art utilizes techniques and materials that adapt to my abilities while investigating the limitations of both myself and the work. This exploration often leads to unconventional combinations of process and material such as my current favorite: loom knitting with metal. It allows me to create larger organic forms without fighting the material or myself. Struggle with my own physical limitations inspired me to pursue a second degree in art education in hopes to make art practices more accessible.
The process of creating is what brings me joy, but I was never satisfied with the end result, until I witnessed people playing with my art. Seeing people handle my creations and have fun with them brought me a greater sense of satisfaction than any finished product ever did. Often people interacting with the work leaves it changed permanently, but that is just a reminder of the joy that it brought to someone. However, some of my work is 2d and not quite as interactive. These works tend to be more illustrative and utilize humor to bring joy to the viewer in a different manner. My work will continue to grow and evolve with me and my changing abilities, but I hope to use it to bring people joy along the way.