medi[t]ations

2024 - ongoing

a practice of looking longer

The community and life cycles of ecosystems are rich in complexity, which models the benefits of diversity and often mirrors human behavior: Plants are products of their environments, species thrive in symbiosis, and conflict arises in the form of invasive plants and irregular climate, forcing ecosystems to adapt. Even their anatomy resembles a human figure, with trunks and limbs and crowns synonymous with plants and people alike. I find these similarities comforting, offering a peaceful source of space and example as I navigate uncertainty and fight back against the pressure to be more of a machine than a person. 

My process begins with deliberately detaching from the overstimulating demands of my modern lifestyle. One of the most important parts of my practice is spending time local nature preserves, ideally alone.  I look with intention, collecting hundreds of images, sketches, and memories as they arise.  I revisit these collections regularly, and I allow intuition to prompt me when it’s time to visit one intentionally as a painting.

As technology advances, I frequently reconsider why I feel the urge to respond to these moments using painting and drawing. Each time, it comes back to a meditative and tactile process, one that forces me to be quiet and really spend time with an idea. The time spent in front of a canvas, the sweet smell of oil, and the scratch of the brush is just as important in the creation process as the end product. 

In the medium I aim to embrace my roots of painting and drawing. While my work tends to be representational, I value the ‘wildness’ in the process, striving to preserve the early gestures. These initial instincts are authentic; they honor our intentions and intuition, which I believe trees help us reconnect with. I explore trees as if they were figures, drawing parallels to and better understanding my own humanity and how societal forces have shaped it.

This body of work expresses moments of my humanity that I have found clarity in observations of the natural world.