I am a painter, but my other occupation, field biology and conservation, has taken me all over the arid landscapes of the Western United States. This work is a privilege to do and a big part of my painting practice. It is the work of careful looking and shares similar intense attention to detail, light, and movement with painting. I am currently working on the science and conservation team for the San Diego Botanic Garden.

While my field biology work is the study of ecological connection, my painting work is a study of connections that teach us about other worlds. I find inspiration in biological processes, especially those between mineral and organic life, such as synthesis of CaCO3 by shellfish from minerals in water.

When conducting fieldwork, especially in the desert, where adaptation to limited water and extreme heat is paramount, I find myself struggling to understand the vast timeframes on which the life there has evolved and is evolving. My paintings are loose explorations in joining the present and the deep past in tandem with the lines between the mineral and the organic.