Portraits in Bloom
I create abstract floral portraits that explore the stories, relationships, and experiences that shape who we become.
I think of these floral forms as portraits of individuals rather than botanical subjects. Their placement within each composition reflects the relationships we form throughout our lives, creating conversations between the portraits. Some stand alone, while others gather in pairs or groups, creating quiet conversations that reflect the many ways our lives intersect. Together they speak to the connections that define our lives.
Text is central to each work. Whether drawn from the pages of books or the headlines of newspapers, words become more than something to read. They become part of each portrait, representing the stories, memories, and experiences we carry throughout our lives. Through layers of encaustic, fragments of language emerge and recede, much like our own histories over time.
The Novel Blooms and Ruffled Realities series explore these ideas from different perspectives. One reflects the personal narratives that shape individual lives. The other considers the collective experiences that connect us as communities. Together they remind us that, like the natural world, we all move through seasons of growth, change, resilience, and renewal.
Novel Blooms
Floral forms become portraits, exploring individuality and the relationships that shape our lives. Across Novel Blooms and Ruffled Realities, familiar materials are transformed into individual and collective forms, revealing connections between personal experience, shared histories, and the people around us.
Ruffled Realities
In Ruffled Realities, individual newspaper blooms come together to form a larger collective portrait. Words and stories once tied to a particular moment are reshaped into sculptural forms, exploring how individual experiences become part of something shared and how familiar materials can take on new meaning.
