My artistic journey began in elementary school. I discovered I could draw popular cartoon characters in a way that grabbed the attention of my classmates. I always had a strong desire to create, from cartoons and watercolors to treehouses and making things out of junk in my grandpa's garage. Throughout my schooling years, I signed up for all of the art classes that were available to me, including sculpture and ceramics.

When I am looking for inspiration, I find that nature always sneaks its way into my artwork. The colors of flowers and the patterns found in wood and on rocks are so inspiring. I am very fascinated with the ever-changing texture of water and waves.

The Dickerson Sheep mural is the largest piece of art I have produced to date. Because of this, it was a little intimidating, but it stretched me from my comfort zone into a new realization of my abilities and what I could accomplish.

The greatest challenge I face as an artist is articulating the ideas inside of my head onto the actual canvas. Oftentimes it is obvious to me that a painting is missing something but I just can't figure out what exactly it is missing, and that can feel stressful.

I have had the pleasure to work with a few community groups such as the Oakdale Arts non-profit and the Oakdale Garden Club both of which have a strong desire to beautify the community by curating art in public spaces that can be enjoyed by all. Together we've been able to bring murals to the city including the community garden as well as produce a colorful painted piano that is available downtown for the public to play.

The impact that I hope to have on others through my artwork is to produce a smile and spark of creative inspiration to those who come across it. I love the way art triggers imagination and I think the world could benefit from positive artistic encouragement.