Creating artwork is a kinesthetic and emotive process. My work is the result of finding sanctuary in nature through process and observation of the seasons. Nature already has an atmosphere of sanctuary, as does my studio. There is a departure from the pressures of the world and its expectations of progressing in a particular way through life. Making art is outside of words and rational/logical thinking is more akin to free association or a form of harmonious irrationality. It is about finding a place to combat the negativity in the world, to send out something positive and peaceful. I do not want “observation as ownership.” Instead, this act of observation is respect and a way to document and share the beauty of what exists.
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​Since coming back to NM, I’ve had a studio for the first time that is not part of my living area. I’ve been searching for a name for this studio for a few years. While in KS, I wanted to call my plein air painting group “sexy chicken” but got voted down. At my studio here, I kept noticing lots of lizards around. Then a lizard event happened: I found two deceased lizards in a large urn curled together in a yin-yang shape. I began to research their type and found that they were whiptails, a parthenogenetic species (all females sharing the same genetic information and reproduce through cloning). I assumed that scientists had invented cloning, but see now that it is part of nature. In this way, Double Lizard Studio is the name that has found its way to my studio. I am continually inspired to see that the more we observe nature, the more we respect our environment and each other. Creating in nature and observing natural cycles allows us to live open-hearted lives.