Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I love creating art that, in both creation and encounter, hits the gut before the mind, that stirs the emotions before the thoughts, and then when it stirs the thoughts, those thoughts stir other emotions. I love art that bridges distinct aesthetics, that is simultaneously humorous and earnest. Juxtaposition. Contrast. I’m allured by translucence, light, reflection, illusion, enchanted by honey, glass, resin, sugar, water—materials so delicate and fine that they remind of the miracle of life.

Where do you find inspiration?

“Sommelier of breath smells”, “Puns as sculptures of language”, “Animal instinct in choosing where to sit in the movie theater”, “Butter-soaked translucent cyanotypes”. There are hundreds of ideas like these in my Notes App and journals. They come to me through presence and observation and my tendency towards playfulness and seeing possibilities behind every door of my perception. From a peculiar typo to dueling picnic speakers, I find inspiration in mundane coincidences. Followed by research.

What would you do with $25,000?

So much of my energy and time goes into figuring out how to make ends meet, so the money represents liberation for me to focus on cultivating my art. I could afford materials, studio time, instruction in techniques like welding and glass slumping, and the assistance/collaborators I need to realize projects that halted once I lost access to school resources. It would allow me to kickstart my work as a professional artist, instead of constantly treading water to meet my basic needs.