A glimpse into the creative world of an artist from the Dirty South Who fell in love with the hungry forests at the Edge of the World.

Life at the edge of the world is pretty dreamy. It's a fantastic place in the Northwest with wet prehistoric salamanders and giant smelly skunk cabbage in cool rain forests of tall Doug Fir. Perhaps I was just enthralled with the difference of environment when I came here from the Dirty South, where durable cypress trees are growing out of dark swamp water and 8-foot alligators spark fear in the minds of tubers who have been purposely flung off the safety of their floating rubber donuts for a hearty Cajun laugh (thank you Uncle Gordon). I know for sure, I came here when I saw a map of how little the state of Oregon had cell phone coverage, which to me meant it must still be pretty wild. So I traded in the alphabet of hurricanes I lived through and the clever pigeons of the French Quarter for a land of organically grown everything and craft beer heaven. I really do miss jambalaya and crawfish boils, jazz wafting into the streets, and the old shotgun houses that were once so affordable.

My middle name Rose is part of my matrilineal heritage, and oddly enough, my paternal family’s maiden name was Rosetta. I have mainly French heritage from my Acadian ancestors of Louisiana and some Scottish, Welsh, Italian, and Greek ancestry, too. My French grandmother did some great work on our genealogy, and I come from Civil War fighters, farming inventors, engineers, and vernacular architects of the Deep South who first migrated from the Normandy region of France in the 1700's. A second language was spoken through my great-grandparents' generation on both sides of my family. Sometimes I wish I had some of that knowledge, but I believe that one day in the pursuit of creativity and history I will visit the places of my ancestors and feel their feeling of home in my bones.

Education

My formal training in studio arts is comprised of 5.5 years in a versatile set of BA studies which were spent developing a print-maker's eye, illustrating attentively from life and imagination, and appreciating the darkroom aspects of photography. The University of New Orleans, The University of Oregon, The New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts, and Sitka Center for Art and Ecology have contributed vital resources and studios in which I built the foundation of my education in the arts. I became self-taught in the graphic design arts and digital photography post-education in order to participate in e-commerce.

Process

So here I am on the Oregon Coast, living and working for the sake of making authentic human connections and being inspired by the daily beauty and grime that surrounds me. The personal connections I make along the way, as well as the new experiences of "place" usually inspire more questions that prod my research into the history, geology, biology, and current events of our region. This cycle of curiosity and exploration keeps me engaged with the creation of new imagery.

I mostly work in the medium of digital photography with my Nikon D850 camera, shooting natural landscapes and epic objects that reflect history and human society in them. When I am free enough to unwind, I still draw in a sketchbook, and my occasional paintings are often informed by the same imagery you see in my illustrations. I keep surface shapes in mind of where my work will go when creating new images to later incorporate them into product design so that art can be appreciated on a functional level in our everyday lives.

I believe that by moving art beyond the walls and into our daily routines, the image itself becomes more prevalent and influential as it becomes more visible. I want my creative work to inspire healthy treks, fun journeys, as well as brightened moods on grey Pacific Northwest days. Testament to this fact is that I have heard some of my art fans tell me they actually get in their cars and drive to find the places in my photographs! I'm totally honored by that. I have also heard that my images are soothing and sometimes depict the opposing forces within nature - the struggle of all creatures and elements to survive and persist within nature. Basically, feeling alive.

Aligned with my efforts at finding natural beauty is a sense of conserving it as well. I tend to use recycled papers for my cards and recyclable bags for my salts and re-use packaging fill when I ship my goods. As a result of my explorations, I feel compelled to support the following regional organizations in their efforts to preserve and renew the beauty of the earth after disaster or politics strike yet again:

Columbia Riverkeeper

North Coast Land Conservancy

Wildlife Center of the North Coast

I also love the contributions of our radio station KMUN, who keep us informed with oral journalism over the airwaves.