Artist Statement

My figurative and narrative artworks portray my life’s journey as a Deaf person who finds connection in nature. I incorporate my visual observations and emotions into each piece, emphasizing the details of eyes, hands, and expressive movements of the figures. The parallelism of sign language and nature highlights the shared need to be preserved and cherished for future generations.

This art exhibit is inspired by two key influences: my love and admiration of Midwest nature preserves with its flora and fauna, and the beauty and accessibility of sign language. Through my Deaf eyes, I invite you to experience heightened magical landscapes: familiar bodies of water, plants, insects, and birds alive with vibrant energy and movement.

Oils have long been my primary medium, but in recent years I discovered the magic of floss embroidery work during long road trips away from the studio. Easy to carry, set up, and put away, needlework became a natural choice while traveling. Embroidery introduced a new level of dimension to my body of work, through its lush color intensity, raised textile surfaces and light-impact quality. The embroidery symbolizes a threaded connection, holding the visual world together, and helping the image connect with our own experience.

My wish is that the viewers will capture and internalize the vivid beauty of Deaf sign language combined with our natural world through my two media: oil and floss embroidery work.