Spring

The first rains had just started to come signaling that spring was here; that winter had finally broken. It wasn’t quite warm yet, but you didn’t need much clothes on to be outside and content. The rain was just enough to get you wet, but under the protection of the forest canopy it became a haze shrouding you. An occasional drop finding its mark to remind you that it was indeed raining out there. This was just one of the many days Grandmaw took me out into the woods to teach me about the trees, the flowers, and leaves. What could be ate, what was medicine, and what to feed a man if ever he gave me trouble. 

 

Summer 

With a brick in one hand and mine in the other my Dad asked the man moving towards us, “ Are you a scab? Don’t make me keep you on the other side of this line.” Those resolute words uttered while glancing back down at me and my small hand. We all stood in the heat of the sun together with the mountains behind us. Like big green giants towering above us all daring to be confronted while offering their embrace. The river running parallel to us seemed to echo the resolve of the words being chanted. Knowing that deep down we cared for them even if we didn’t always show it.  

 

Fall 

That fall we marched into the woods just as the sun peeked over the mountain. Hidden by clothes that resembled leaves slathered in the scent of doe, we found a place and waited. The previous days had been filled with hikes through the forest looking for the ruts and tracks. Following paths the deer use as highways to speed between the trees. While we waited, in hushed tones we talkedwe had talked about where we wanted to be in the coming years. How one day we’d make it out of that holler together. The shallow silence broken by the sudden snap of twigs ,and then a breath,  and a shot. There in the place where the deer once stood we took care of what needed to be done. We were thankful for the food we were given. 

 

Winter

With the snow blanketing the ground the softness of winter silence engulfed everything. Slow mornings feeding the fire with wood, huddled nearby waiting for the warmth to creep into the beams and bones. On a whim with bare feet I ran outside with a pot and scooped up a heaping portion of snow and filled the pot with sweet cream and sugar. Stirred it together adding some sprinkles I had stashed from last Easter’s cookies. There I sat again, filling my stomach with the poor man's ice cream passed down to me.

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This is the backdrop of my arts practice and research. Art that revolves around a sense of Identity intertwined with land. The sculptures I create offer moments of whimsy, investigation, and resolve; cultivated from a life lived in tandem with nature. Through research, scientific curiosity, and traditional modes of working I create sculptures composed of clay, paper, wool, coal, cotton, hemp and in collaboration with Fungi. These works investigate not only the impact that we have on the land and other organisms, but their impact on us. Together in our collaborative, and my own personal work themes about working class people, our connections to the lands we inhabit, and its destruction are explored; celebrating the fumbles and successes of community.While my research and art is heavily entrenched in a personal vernacular of place, there are moments that are synonymous with living. I’m searching for the singular moments that speak to more than words, imparting those experiences into physical structure. 

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My arts practice is a process of writing of my experiences then creating art form them. It’s not always a linear process, but an evolving conversation. These works center around the ideas of identity being intrinsically tied to land, and our relationships to the ecosystems we inhabit. I explore this relationship between my views of self and ecosystem through Appalachian folkways. I primarily utilize quilting, spinning, weaving, and works with ceramics, integrating printmaking, papermaking and natural dye techniques. For me the choice in materials and process are dictated by the conversation or ideas I expressing through my work. Throughout this process Im looking for opportunities to work collaboratively with Fungi throughout the making process. This  collaborative work highlighting that we are organisms living in ecosystems dependent on other living creatures and each other. 

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