In my work, I excavate the delicate territory between childhood wonder and the edges of danger—a space I first discovered in my own backyard experiments with fireworks and homemade potato cannons. These early adventures weren't merely acts of rebellion; they were my first encounters with the profound questions that continue to drive my artistic practice: Where does play end and peril begin? What transforms a hazard into an opportunity for discovery?
Growing up in an era of unsupervised exploration, I found myself drawn to the thrill of testing boundaries. Each improvised experiment, whether successful or ending in a spectacular failure, became a lesson in understanding risk, consequence, and the raw joy of discovery. These experiences weren't just about the excitement of the moment—they were fundamental exercises in understanding cause and effect, in learning to calculate risk while maintaining that essential spark of curiosity that defines childhood.
To capture these moments and explore these complex themes, I work with drawing, watercolor, and India ink, creating works on paper that range in size from intimate 5" x 7" watercolors to larger pieces reaching 8 feet wide. I also construct inert "fireworks" from book binding board, watercolor paper, glue, fuse and glassine. These sculptural elements, devoid of any explosive potential, serve as metaphors for the controlled exploration of risk, the excitement of potential chaotic energy.
Today, my artistic practice serves as a bridge between these formative experiences and my adult understanding of their significance. Through my work, I seek to capture that precise moment when a child's eyes widen with possibility, when the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary. My pieces often incorporate elements that seem to teeter on the edge of reality—familiar objects reimagined through the lens of youthful imagination, where everyday items become portals to fantastic possibilities.
The tension between safety and discovery remains a central theme in my work. I'm fascinated by how children naturally navigate this balance, often with more wisdom than we give them credit for. My installations and sculptures frequently play with scale and perspective, creating environments that evoke both the physical and emotional landscape of childhood experimentation.
In an age where childhood has become increasingly structured and risk-averse, my work stands as a testament to the value of unscripted discovery. It celebrates those precious moments of independent exploration that shape not just our understanding of the physical world, but our capacity for creative problem-solving and resilient thinking.
Through my art, I invite viewers to reconnect with their own memories of childhood daring, to remember the electric thrill of pushing boundaries and the profound learning that comes from testing limits. Each piece serves as a reminder that growth often happens in that exhilarating space between caution and courage, where curiosity leads the way and discovery awaits those brave enough to explore.
![EDITIONED sculpture: TOP SHELF & NOI-Z-BOY set of two - [inert]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5005fc2ee4b09ef22529406a/1cf15121-bc53-4deb-bcb6-6a69416691d2/packs+product+1.jpg)
