Artist and Conservationist

As an artist and conservationist, my art would not be possible without the preservation of wild spaces. Proceeds from my work go to support the Greensprings Wildlife Sanctuary in Ashland, Oregon. The sanctuary is 140 acres of forest, high prairie and riverside habitat in the Cascade-Siskiyou Mountains. Many of the materials used in my work are humanely sourced within the sanctuary. All art sales directly benefit the sanctuary for reforestation and habitat restoration projects. My family and I plant trees by hand every fall. If you would like to join us, please reach out.

I make foraged nature sculptures shot in my barn art studio and I call this a blend of fine art photography and citizen science. Each piece starts out with a survey foraging trip. When I am foraging I pay attention to the color and texture of decaying materials, new growth, and animal sign. And I do my best to gather materials that tell the story of that particular ecosystem in that moment in time. Then I use my field guides to identify the species of plants, animals and fungi I'll be using in my work. Back in my studio, I assemble the natural materials into a "live sculpture" and photograph it for print. My use of studio lighting and a high key background provide an interesting contrast to how we usually see these elements out in the field. By mirroring many of my pieces in post process I attempt to double the visual and meditative impact of my art. When I am done photographing the wilted "live sculpture" joins the compost heap and returns to the wildlife sanctuary.

I became a moth breeder because I have always had a fascination with lepidoptery (the hobby of collecting butterflies and moths); and in the last 15 years I have seen a huge increase in the demand and availability of preserved butterfly art. But most of what is available is shipped from distant tropical butterfly breeding operations. By breeding indigenous ceanothus moths in the wildlife sanctuary I bring the practice of making moth art to Southern Oregon, I can be transparent about the process, and harvest by my own ethical standards. Turns out after three years of breeding moths, I only have one preserved and framed moth specimen. Yet in the process I have documented the entire caterpillar rearing process, and released nearly 50 females each laden with up to 100 eggs. Currently I am illustrating a coloring book about the life cycle of the ceanothus moth and my experiences in moth rearing.