portfolio

I am currently building my portfolio; this line of work is in the process of growing. I have struggled trying to grasp exactly what I would like my concentration to be as a pencil artist. I started to take a step back and really think of the things I enjoy most; what makes me, me. One thing that kept coming to mind was nature. I grew up in the woods and have always felt peace being outside. I moved to Florida a few years ago and I LOVE the water. I am completely mesmerized by the ocean and it's healing powers, so I had to capture it in my way. It started as ocean life, but has evolved into wildlife. I've enjoyed experiencing it's evolution.

The last few years of my life have been ever changing and extremely challenging. With that being said, I have felt the presence of a guardian angel along the way. I believe they’ve been helping me since I was a child; there have been times when something catastrophic could have happened, but I somehow avoided it. I have also found TONS of white feathers in unnatural places; a physical sign my angel was in my presence. This piece is about diving into the water to stay alive, although it may be unnatural to do so. To me, these birds look like angels captured in time trying to survive in a place they can’t breath. I feel as though I have felt this overwhelming sensation that can come from diving into the unknown. I’m not sure if my angel is what’s helping me pull myself out of the deep, or if it’s a combination of the two of us. But I am thankful I have “Angels on my Side” to keep me from drowning.

“Vacation Through the Soul” - Pencil, 21”x29”

Without going into too much detail, the trauma I experienced before I was adopted has affected me my entire life. Fortunately, I've been doing the work to make peace with it all. I have been facing my demons; removing negative people, coming to terms with decisions I’ve made, getting sober and having a supportive partner to name a few. It’s amazing trauma can prohibit us from making the best decisions for ourselves. It's important to let the past go, live in the present, and swim towards the future; be wise like a sea turtle. Recently, I feel as though I’ve been on a vacation, traveling through my soul trying to figure it all out. I plan to continue on this journey to become the best version of myself, no matter how challenging it may be.

“I’m Just Going to Enjoy my Day” - Pencil, 17”x27”

One day, I was minding my own business while reading in my beach chair a few inches in the water. To my surprise I was stung by a jellyfish. I was shocked! It took weeks for the sting to heal and I still have the scar on the back of my leg. The incident left me thinking about how quickly a perfectly nice day can change out of the blue - and how it can sting. When I think metaphorically about what this event means to me, I can’t help but compare it to a mentally abusive partner. I have learned some people are inherently bad, they don’t even try to be good. Everything will seem fine, and all the sudden they will be set off and I’m left to deal with their own internal issues. They will sting and scar until they get what they need to make themselves feel big. It is up to us to decide whether we are going to let these experiences continue to ruin our days or not. I’ve chosen not to be stung.