Artist Statement

When you think of a cardinal, goldfinch, or bluebird, you think of a brightly colored songbird that is easy to identify. If you pay extra attention, you know that these bright feathers are only on the males of the species. Female songbirds are often small, unnoticeable, and dull in their plumage. This sexual dimorphism exists to protect the females from predators. They are more difficult to find, therefore they are safer.  As a woman, there are times I feel I cannot dress in a way that is too noticeable or too feminine because it makes me a target. Being proud of my femininity and expressing myself puts me at risk for violence in a world where men ask what a victim was wearing before anything else. Being seen puts women at risk.

I am inspired by the birds that can naturally camouflage themselves into their surroundings. Because of this, my work focuses on camouflaging forms of birds and women in a larger composition. Their forms are still recognizable but become more difficult to see. I enjoy using highly saturated oil pastels to grab the viewer’s attention. It takes work to identify the subjects in my pieces, but the pieces themselves are impossible to miss.