Being an eco-artist, I care very deeply about the connection between art and science. STREAM is an acronym that has expanded from the original STEM education philosophy that stands for Science, Technology, Recycling, Engineering, Art, and Math. In today’s climate, we as humans cannot afford to waste time, energy, or resources. Sustainable collaborations between art and science have the power to build empathy and display the urgency of critical findings about the changing environment.
Over the past two years I have been collaborating with University of Santa Barbara, California Oceanographers to combine their findings with art and recycling. The waste that is involved within the environmental sciences cannot be overlooked. In a society where single use plastics are being banned, I am distressed that debris from scientific cruises continues to be burned or thrown into the very same oceans that we are attempting to protect. By forming the science trash (falcon tubes, gloves, containers, labels, etc) into canvases, this body of work conveys the seascapes where the research took place and the tools used, all while drawing attention to the waste across disciplines.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of marine debris harming our once pristine oceans. I have been collaborating with the Channel Islands National Park, Channel Island Marine Debris, and with the California State University Channel Islands to find creative ways to clean up beaches and all bodies of water contaminated with trash. This STREAM series looks at how a human footprint on land is directly related to the sea. I am most concerned about depicting environmental changes humans have caused and what steps must be taken to preserve the planet.
Acyrlic on falcon tubes used by oceanographers on a research cruise of the Santa Barbara Channel. 2018
Acrylic on flipper found in the Santa Barbara Channel through the Channel Island Marine Debris cleanup. Potato Harbor, Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park. 2018.
Acrylic on ocean sample vials from the US CLIVAR (Climate and Ocean: Variability, Predictability, and Change) cruise in 2014 in the South Pacific Ocean. The water collected in these vials was used to measure the absorption of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) using spectrophotometry, which uses changes in the color of the water to tell you about the consistency of the water. 2017
Acrylic on buoy found in the Santa Barbara Channel. 2017
Acyrlic on buoy found through the Channel Islands Marine Debris cleanup. Lookout Park, Summerland, CA. 2018
Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Park. 2017
Acrylic on broken sunglasses found on the beach of the Channel Islands National Park. 2017
Acrylic on 3' snorkeling flipper found on the beach at Shoreline Park, Santa Barbara, CA. 2018
Acrylic on snorkel goggles found on Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA. 2018
Acrylic on Evian water bottle found on Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park. 2017
Acrylic on plastic water bottle found on Lookout Park, Summerland, CA. 2017
My experiences and perspectives are continually reshaping, therefore my memories are shifting. Photos are seemingly constant snapshots of specific moments. However, when looked upon in the new light of a new day, even these "constants" can be altered. I have created this series to articulate the changing lenses we view life through over time.
Oil on Printed Canvas, 40" x 30", 2015
Oil on Acrylic on Canvas, 8" x 8", 2016
Acrylic on Canvas on Tree, 4" x 4", 2016
Acrylic on Canvas on Tree, 12" x 12", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Acrylic on Postcard, 7" x 5", 2016
Printmaking Crayons on Silkscreen on Paper, 18" x 12", 2016
Printmaking Crayons on Silkscreen on Paper, 18" x 12", 2016
Printmaking Crayons on Silkscreen on Paper, 18" x 12", 2016
I am currently working with recycled art materials in order to configure a sculptural surface for painting. The process of creating art is more important to me than the finished product, but this process goes largely unseen. Art deserves more than a passing surface glimpse as there are deep personal and procedural connections imbedded within the exterior. In these pieces, I wish to share the often-overlooked tool that becomes an extension of my hand in the art making process.
Acrylic on Recycled Art Materials, Installation, 2016
Blooming Detail
Blooming Detail
Acrylic on Paintbrushes, 64" x 44", 2016
Reflection Detail
Reflection Detail
Reflection Detail
Acrylic on Plaster, 18" x 11", 2016
Intimate Grandeur Detail
Repurposed mint tins turned oil painting sketches en plein air while traveling, hiking, picnicking.
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 3" x 2" (2017)
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 2" x 2" (2018)
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 3" x 2" (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper in Altoids Tin, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 3" x 2" (2018)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 2" x 2" (2017)
Oil on canvas paper in mint tin. 3" x 2" (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper in Altoids Mini Tin, 2" x 1", (2018)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper (with a stick), 3" x 2", (2017)
Pen with Watercolor on Paper, 6" x 4", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 6" x 4", (2017)
Oil on Canvas Paper, 3" x 2", (2017)
