After high school I attended Messiah College where I studied art education and I returned to the area in 2017 to teach at Middlesex Middle School. I find that working with students in the classroom is constantly informing my own art practice. Additionally, contrary to popular belief, I’m convinced that middle schoolers are the most fascinating, fun, and entertaining group of humans on the planet. In my work I strive to find balance between the contradictory elements that I am drawn to the most. I’m continually looking to balance impulse and intention as well as whimsy and weight. In the background of a majority of my pieces, I begin by mixing a range of colors to cover the surface. Initial marks are fluid and intuitive and become more deliberate over time. These first steps of building a surface are as important to me as the rendering of the object in the final piece. I find an extra element of joy in creating work with colors and objects that are intentionally silly yet rendered in a way that asks the viewer to spend more time with them. Nothing screams “don’t take this seriously” like a pile of disco balls on a hot pink background! However, you’ll find that the subject is then taken VERY seriously as it is painted, with attention to each shadow, reflected light, and each shift in hue.