Artist Statement

I treasure the small moments of connection in the rush of life. Through monotype, etching, and drawing, I capture the memory of these moments between people in different communities. A print could be inspired by the emanation of light from within a joyful gathering of people in a pub, the energy of folk musicians jamming together, or the quiet intimacy of a parent holding their child. By documenting these moments, I aim to reveal the universal strings that unite us in our shared humanity. 

Throughout my practice, I have studied traditional folk music spaces as sites of intergenerational cultural connection. My inspiration comes from Appalachian and Celtic music traditions, genres with rich histories that transcend borders and bring people of different backgrounds together. Through the legacy of musicians in my family, I have developed my own artistic identity by generating imagery that responds to the feelings and observations of being part of these musical communities. The energy that comes from meeting new people, seeing familiar faces at a jam session, and being part of a music circle fuels my practice.

I begin with sketching musicians live, and I later translate the memory of those moments into print by referencing sketches, photographs, and audio recordings. Printing a plate, much like passing down a traditional song through the centuries, is an act of creating history through preserving memories. I aim to capture the full texture of these memories. Gestural marks evoke the layered sounds of a traditional music session: the cheerful murmur of the crowd pierced by the high pitch of the fiddle, or the whispered conversations held while two musicians play a ballad in an almost-empty pub. The play of opacity and color create the glow of light and energy as the inhabitants of a scene bring that space to life. Through my work, I invite you, the viewer, to participate in the gathering.