I am an American acrylic and mixed media artist who creates highly textured substrates using iridescent, metallic and matte paints overlaid to create a complex visual narrative. My paintings are designed to entice the viewer to investigate the complexity and messages hiding behind the textured surface. Many of my current paintings focus on the degradation of our environment resulting from climate change, which ultimately reduces life expectancy. Through my work, I hope to start a conversation with my audience on how we can make the necessary changes to improve these vulnerable aspects of society and the environment individually and collectively. Other recent works are more whimsical – a welcome relief from the serious nature of my previously mentioned work. Handicrafts created by my mother and her sisters throughout the course of their lives have likewise influenced my creativity. These Depression-era women, like those in previous cultures, worked with the materials and resources they had at the time, often reusing abandoned artifacts, or employing articles originally designed for multiple or very different purposes. The complexity of their work and creative genius continues to influence me to this day.