My work reflects an intuitive process of mimicking the natural, not just nature. Often referencing various botanical elements, most of which carry environmentalist undertones. The majority of my work is meticulously handcrafted from steel, focusing on quality of line and overall composition, though I do enjoy branching out and experimenting with other materials. I have an immense love for playing with scale, taking something small and blowing it up into a “zoomed in” caricature of the original reference. Bringing attention to tiny details one may not naturally see with the naked eye. 

A subject that lives and dies in fairly short succession is recreated in a material that feels immortal. Except it isn’t, steel lives and dies all the same. Left untouched, steel will rust, and disintegrate, slowly fading away with time, it just takes much longer. I tend to avoid using preservative finishes in order to allow the steel to age as it faces the elements. Similarly, I find solace in creating memorial pieces for beloved pets and animals, allowing their memory to remain far longer than their ephemeral bodies. 

Growing up I often felt like I didn't have control over many aspects of my life, a feeling which I still frequently experience. Though steel is hard and cold, it has the ability to be soft and easily manipulated to your will. The sense of control I feel when creating with this material is exceptionally cathartic, allowing me to heal parts of my soul that suffered when life became unsteady. Steel does not lie, its predictability gives me comfort, however, it can be dangerous, demanding respect but not fear. Though its manipulation has limits. When the metal undergoes traditional methods of forging, there are many elements that must be allowed to just be. A reminder that there remain parts of life that cannot be controlled, no matter how badly we may want them to be. 

As a woman working in steel, a traditionally male dominated space, it can be challenging to navigate. My delicate floral features are reminiscent of the fragile femininity that is expected of us as women in a rampantly misogynistic society. We are meant to be small, friendly, and warm, smiling with every interaction. Simultaneously, we need to have thick skin, be less emotional, know how to “take a joke” all in order to validate the insecurities of men.  However, these pieces are far from dainty and fragile, they are not soft and their sharp edges will cut you if not treated with respect. I refuse to jeopardize the aspirations of my own femininity in order to be taken seriously. These self centered elements of my work emerge in defiance to the delineated spaces deemed as masculine or feminine.