What is your favorite type of art to create?

I love using fibers, printmaking, and paint. Painting, pressing, carving, and ripping makes me feel connected to my work physically. Using my body makes the process more spiritual; it’s the reason we can make art without always understanding every decision or move that creates a state of flow. We may inexplicably connect to work we don’t always understand. Painting, carving, weaving, and printing are some of the oldest forms of making, and they still connect us.

Where do you find inspiration?

I enjoy reading, listening to music, sitting in nature, and going to the museum. I also take inspiration from fashion, because it tells us how we signal our identity to others. It’s another form of communication that allows us to connect, and it can tell us about time, history, and culture. I tend to look for patterns across all of these sources that produce a common feeling that I express through my work. Therefore my work is a lot about pattern, print, and space (physical and psychological).

What would you do with $25,000?

I would create an installation using large, hanging printed fabrics that act as architecture within the room to choreograph the movement of visitors by creating moments of direct encounter and interaction. Maybe if more of us engaged with one another face-to-face, we could have more empathy. The money would go towards the cost of materials, supplies, labor, and event costs.