Artist Statement
I seek a balance. When I sit under the waves looking up at the surface of the water, I watch the light playing across the waves and my struggles and difficulties in melt away. The ocean is a place I find a balance within myself, it is life giving, life taking, vast, virtually unexplored, and under attack. My deep need to protect this place translates into art focusing on how we can create a balance between what the ocean can give and what we need. My art also explores my personal relationship with the ocean, drawing experience from the places I have lived, worked, and also an extensive scientific research process.
I am most interested in conveying the life of ecosystems, whether a kelp forest, or a patch reef. These systems, or organisms that work together, demonstrate the interconnectedness of the ocean, a complex system of relationships which includes us. We decide if the part we play in these ecosystems are conducive to their growth or to their diminishment. I show both the disintegration of these places as well as the beauty of their natural state through my materials. My intent is to create for my viewers a visual education about the world beneath the waves, so that my work becomes a catalyst for positive forces of change. I intend to continue making art that acts as a mouthpiece for marine conservation efforts as I study marine biology, becoming an ever more informed person, looking at the world through a creative lens with the knowledge that we each have the power to impact our world.
