My work pursues how compression, be it one form upon another, or by a space against a figure, can be both hard and delicate at the same time. The act of something being squeezed, pressed, contained, or compacted is an aesthetic interest, but it also conveys the idea of how we respond to comfort and discomfort. It is as a painter and a metalsmith I examine compression, and use these mediums to convey an art both polished and rugged.

In all my paintings I explore the ideas of surface. I examine how the refinements of almost no paint strokes in some areas compare with the thick, more lose and painterly marks in others. The painter Isabel Bishops techniques of defusing images and background together with texture and patterning are used to describe the play between refined image and rugged. In some paintings I depict a female figure that is tightly contained by the edges of the canvas. Despite the lack of room, the figure always has some sense of compliancy. Artists like Klimt and Schiele have always been an influence on how to contain a figure, because both can contort the figure to fit a space as well as use decorative elements to animate the space.

In metals compression is communicated in metal structures, which can be harsh or cold, that are softened by actual pillow-like insides or with fiber. My jewelry explores the refinement of metal mixed with fiber, and how mixing some polished metal or glossy enameled metal with coarse and fuzzy fiber can create a beautiful dialogue. It is through my understanding of quilting and knitting that I get inspiration for my metals work. Combining ideas of fiber construction with the techniques of metal construction, I exploit metals coexisting properties of malleability and rigid strength.