I have been interested in art for a long time and have spent hours drawing in the woods behind the house where I grew up, but I didn't start experimenting with sculpture until after I graduated college when I bought a block of polymer clay on a whim and fell in love with it. All of my work is inspired by my love of nature and fantasy.
I enjoy both two-dimensional art and sculpture, but my primary focus has shifted towards miniature sculpture because I can include physical objects found in nature, such as stones, shells, wood, acorns, and pinecones, in my creations. I like the concept of creating small, physical creatures that look like they could have been discovered in a forest, like a nature spirit, and allowing people to bring a touch of strangeness and wildness into their homes through my art.
It can be challenging to pinpoint exactly where my ideas originate, but when I am struggling to find inspiration, taking a break from art and focusing on activities such as spending time outdoors, reading, and listening to music that inspires me can help me regain my creative energy. Even if I am unable to clearly articulate the specific concept behind a particular piece of art, it always derives energy from things that bring me happiness. My sculptures vary greatly in size and level of detail, so they can take anywhere from an hour to a week or more to complete. I have a long-standing love for creating miniature objects and art, so all of my pieces are relatively small in size.
The most enjoyable part of the creative process for me is the physical act of creating something. It is very calming and meditative to work with clay and discover the personality of a piece. While stories, storytelling, and myth are significant sources of inspiration for my art in general, each individual creature does not typically have a specific story. However, when I showcase my art at markets, people frequently see stories in it that they share with me. It is wonderful for me to see how others expand upon and add their own interpretation to the seeds and fragments of stories that I see in my art.
