Page 47 - Winter Issue

Your grandmother had a profound influence on your artistic practice. How does her legacy continue to
shape the way you approach painting today?
I mean it’s thanks to her that I’m doing this at all. I would say that I’m a self-taught artist, except that that isn’t true.
Almost everything I know was taught to me by her, both in terms of technique and love for the craft, at a very young age.
Now, as a young adult, I only began reconnecting with it in a significant way after she died, about a year and a half ago.
Can you describe how your emotional experiences, particularly with loss and mental illness, are
expressed through your work?
In many ways, my practice is a form of art therapy, which is a very legitimate type of mental health care. For me, it
creates space to explore and communicate things that are otherwise difficult to express., which is so valuable to me
because there is so much healing that comes from the ability to simply share things with people.
How do you use color and texture to explore aspects of your identity on canvas?
I love this question, these aspects of visual art can evoke powerful emotions, and therefore create an immersive
experience. Hardness, smoothness, polished tranquility, and the grittiness of imperfection are all parts of life. Straight or

gay, cis or trans, it doesn't matter, the sharpness and softness
inside us and between us exist with great vibrancy. These are
tools used to represent things that can’t quite be said with
words.
What role do you think art plays in advocating for
liberation and self-expression, particularly within the
LGBTQ+ community?
I understand that in many ways I say this from a very privileged
place, but in art, one can carve out a space that exists despite,
and outside the control of, their oppressor. Art is a space for
exploration and expression, that is safe both from the forces of
the outside world and from the blocks and confines of our
minds. It is a tool for in-group communication of the oppressed,
for conveying complex experiences, and for the movement to
better understand itself.
In addition to painting, you also create music and poetry.
How do these mediums complement your visual art
practice?
I don’t view art as being separated by genre or medium. I
understand those labels as tools that are helpful for
communication, but music, writing, and painting all feel like the
same practice to me. They feed one another’s inspiration, and
engaging with each one helps me understand the others better.
Can you talk about the concept of "caring for your inner
child" and how it influences your creative process? How
do you visualize this inner dialogue in your paintings?
It is a process of finding spontaneity, playfulness, and wonder in
the every day, and most importantly, doing it in a safe space,
one that invites the individual to trust themself and trust their
surroundings to hold and celebrate what they have to offer.
Many people don’t grow up with this as a continual opportunity
many people may never find it, which makes the process of
creating that space for oneself even more necessary. For me, art
is a process by which I can do this. It’s less so a matter of
visualizing an inner dialogue, but instead relearning how to act
on instinct, without that intermediate judgment or redirection of
the dialogue.
The Sandhill, The Mother - Acrylic on canvas, 30'’x15'’, 2024

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