The people around me, when I was a child, drove me to spend a lot of time outdoors. My mom, who I adore, would yell at me
and my brothers to get out of the house and she would shut the door behind us. I always assumed she locked it. We lived in Paris, Tennessee on a family farm with aunts and cousins just a couple fields away. Being surrounded by pastures and forests it seemed safe and it was as long as you watched for snakes.
I also spent a lot of time on a different farm, my mom’s parents’ farm in Big Sandy, Tennessee. When I think of home that is where I imagine myself. I loved being outside with Gran and Grandfather. The time I spent working in the garden or in the fields with them brings a palpable fullness to my chest. Those memories could crush me if I let them. The oily smell of manual labor mingling with the smell clean laundry, the sound of the tractor returning from the fields, and my Gran’s voice calling to remind me to watch for the snakes as I ran out the door to explore and to be wild. All of those hours outside, free to roam left a deep and tangible imprint in my soul. I miss it so much and I take my own two children there as often as I can.
Artist’s Statement
My work is a reaction to my experiences with people vs. my experiences with animals. As a child growing in rural West Tennessee I was happiest when wandering through the forests and fields around my grandparents’ farm. I looked under logs and in holes. I waded through creeks looking for these mysterious and “evil” snakes that handed out fruit and ruined everything. I picked clover and stood perfectly still until the cow ate it from my hand. I knew the black widows under the logs didn’t want to hurt me. I learned bees didn’t want to sting me. In nature I found a world that made sense.
I want my work to reflect that appreciation for the small things, the insects, and other under appreciated critters. When we look at a garden we see the flowers, but if you bend down and look closer, there is so much more to find, so many delicate little lives. That curiosity and wonder are what inspire me to stack so many things into my work. I often choose to include a little touch of litter, so as not to ignore our impact on nature. I don’t include actual humans, but I do include our existence.
These days I just try to be aware of how my actions impact the environment and try to teach my kids to do the same.