Biography
I have always been a storyteller, whether through novels, short stories, or narrative illustration. Much of the inspiration for my artwork stems from these written works, as the illustrations often serve to depict characters, scenes, settings, and moods found in the stories. In this way, the artwork plays a critical role in my writing process, allowing for key elements to be explored and developed off page. Even my work that is not directly related to a specific novel maintains a characteristic narrative quality, featuring characters engaging within complex scenes that indicate the presence of something greater going on, or the feeling of a captured moment within a larger story.
I received a Bachelor's of both Studio Art and English from Saint Joseph’s University in 2024.
I have had paintings shown in Regis Hall and the Post Learning Commons at Saint Joseph’s University, and a series of illustrations for my BA Thesis exhibition were displayed in the Frances M. Maguire Art Museum in the spring of 2024. I have also worked in scientific illustration at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and as an illustrator for several children’s books, including A.V. Guile’s Our Angel in Heaven, which is available for purchase through Amazon.
Artist Statement
I am a storyteller. As a novelist and writer, this often translates through my written word, but I find I embrace the creative narrative in many other aspects of my life. There are stories in the veins of my houseplants’ leaves and in the grain of my film photography, in the fingerprints on my ceramics and the translucent strokes of my watercolor paintings. The luminosity and depth of watercolor especially has allowed me a medium through which I can express complex narratives through illustration, and I have worked to bring many stories — both my own and others’ — to life in this manner. I am interested in art that captures an entire story in a single image, through use of character, environment, and light.
My watercolor illustration process involves building up the story through countless translucent layers, painted in careful strokes with a very small brush. This allows me to capture the subtle changes in color, temperature, and light across skin and surfaces, and to capture every individual detail that contributes to the greater narrative understanding. The process offers me a space to slow down and reflect on the mood, emotion, and interaction I am developing as I work.
Within my interest for narrative illustration, my work tends to focus specifically on themes of identity, self-reflection, and connection, both with a community and with the environment. My pieces often include imagery of skin, plants, and light, symbolizing the vulnerability, life, and warmth of honest expression — of moving through the world as oneself.
Resume
Education
Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts, 2024
Solo Exhibitions
2024 Flies from a Long Way Off, Frances M. Maguire Art Museum, Merion Station, PA
Group Exhibitions
2022 Illustration I, Post Learning Commons, Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia, PA
Painting II, Regis Hall, Saint Joseph’s University, Merion Station, PA
2021 Illustration I, Boland Hall, Saint Joseph’s University, Merion Station, PA
Co-Curatorial Work
2023 Black: Communion | Philadelphia Artists 1930-Present, in collaboration with Dr. Jenny Spinner, Frances M. Maguire Art Museum, Merion Station, PA
Picture Books
2022 Our Angel in Heaven - Illustrator
Contact
If you have questions regarding my work or if you're interested in working with me, fill out the form to get in touch! I'd be happy to hear from you.