Delight and Wonder

My reverence for nature:

Walking in the Northern California hills in autumn, I might think how soft the rain feels on my cheek, or notice the fragrance of the damp ground or the fragility of the manzanita flowers. I might think that gingko leaves turning yellow along their edges always look like the skirts of little girls dancing. I might remember my mother as I pick up a bright red seed-pod and wonder what plant it came from. In my springtime hikes I watch for the delicate flowers of the bushes and trees and the wildflowers.

This body of work is focused on my complicated relationship with nature. I am respectful, appreciative, and curious. I am aware of the broader experience of observation, including my physical state and memory. These prints and artist’s books express my delight and wonder in the beauty of the plants and animals around me.

Most of the objects were taken from gardens or woods. By drawing directly from touch and sight, and recalling when I first picked up the object, I hope to convey not only the beauty, value and fragility of the natural world; but also my emotional state, the feel of the air, the fragrance of the ground; and even the essence of the object itself.

Several of these images were included in my 2006 Bachelor’s of Fine Art (BFA) thesis exhibition at San Jose State University.