My designs are generally inspired by nature and the natural world that I am surrounded by as well as my passion for travel and adventure. Each piece is hand-carved and printed from a soft cut linoleum block and therefore no two prints are exactly alike. They reflect the unique and expressive nature of my work and process. Each reflects a part of me :)
This is one of the first block carvings I ever did, and consequently, one of my favorites still. I discovered the challenge back then of identifying the positive and negative spaces and figuring out which parts to carve out and which to keep. I am constantly inspired by the octopus: it’s incredible wit and ability to camouflage, multitask, and adapt to new environments.
Having lived on both coasts, this Humpback Whale was inspired by my love of and connection to the ocean I first created a stencil of this design a few years back in a screen printing workshop, before deciding to turn it into a block print.
Challenging times can often spark creativity. The Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in December 2017, proved to be the ideal fuel for the creation of this design. Without the cardinal directions being able to lead me home, the experience of being displaced was incredibly disorienting. Although, this image had been in the making for awhile, spawned by my constant childhood moves and inherited spirit of wanderlust, I felt the unexpected three week break from work to be the the perfect time to complete it.
The pinecone was inspired by my first-ever visit to the Pacific Northwest during the summer of 2018. During this epic solo road trip I was reminded of my love for the mountains and the fresh and clean air found in pine forests. Having spent the summers growing up in the Adirondacks Mountains of New York and woods of New England, this pinecone represents a connection to my younger self and love and respect for the natural world.
This pomegranate print spawned the beginning of my healthy, local produce series. Even though I have lived in Santa Barbara for almost 10 years now, I still consider these super fruits to be exotic. When growing up for in Southern California, eating pomegranates was a favorite activity, and made sure to wear clothes that I didn’t care to ruin while slowly plucking away at their gem-like seeds. Today, they are a popular staple to California cuisine and an ever-present reminder of youthful memories.
When I first lived in Southern California as a child, artichokes were one of my favorite foods to eat with my family. After moving back to California, I am still enamored with these multi-layered vegetables, that are now growing in my backyard. Commissioned originally by a friend, the print has become a crowd favorite and a natural addition to my healthy, local food series.
This fig print represents, in many ways, my life as a Californian: I live just up the street from Mission Street that eventually leads to the “queen” of the California missions, Santa Barbara. Figs are also known to grow and thrive in inhospitable locations: perhaps a metaphor for the global pandemic we have been experiencing since March of 2020. This design was created with the intention of giving 50% of the sales of printed coasters to the local Santa Barbara Food Bank ($5 goes to the non-profit and $5 covers the cost of the materials) Although I realize that this gesture is incredibly small in comparison to the burden so many are suffering or have faced, I feel that it is important to give back in some way since I am able.
I like to lead a sustainable lifestyle and feel like the iconic Mason/ Ball jar symbolizes this desire to live within my means and protect and conserve earth’s precious resources.
The hiking boot footprint was inspired by my love of being active and being in the great outdoors. As a conservationist at heart, I appreciate the motto many adopt when visiting and admiring beautiful outdoor places: “Take only photos, leave only footprints”
This was the very first lino-block I carved since working with the material in high school. The image is inspired by a photograph I took of the landscape of la Isla Mocha, a remote island off the coast of Southern Chile I camped on for two weeks while studying architecture abroad in college. The process, in itself, was the most challenging, as I learned the art of deciding between the negative and positive spaces; which parts to keep and which to carve away. Inspired also by Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Monet’s Haystacks, the final relief print represents a place and experience I hold very close to my heart.
Inspired by my Celtic roots, this knot represents the connection between life and death (upper and lower worlds and continuity of life) as well as balance and harmony. Growing up in the Boston area as an Irish Step Dancer, I competed in dresses emblazoned with imagery from the Irish Book of Kells, an illumated manuscript depicting the four Gospels. Having been surrounded by these beautiful symbols, it was only inherent that I was drawn to creating such a detailed block.