When I had the idea a few months ago to speak to an archaeologist, I was unaware at the ease in which I’d have in finding ones to engage in conversation with (which has me feeling like I’m on the right track). I also had this image in my head that I’d be speaking to an old man sporting a white mustache and donning an all khaki fit (not that there’s anything wrong with that and would be happy to meet him too)…

Last month, I had the exciting privilege to grab coffee with, KayLee Blum, an archaeologist working here locally in Indianapolis! I found KayLee through the University of Indianapolis website where she’s pictured at an excavation site digging knee deep in dirt.

I couldn’t help but be elated of the serendipitous timing of my thirst for archaeological information and the grand opening of the IU Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology!

England was so inspiring! I felt a certain type of way seeing the Roman Baths and also traveling abroad after a long hiatus. For awhile, I’ve known that I love pilgrimaging to archaeological sites.

I like to think of paintings as living beings. They exist in the world and are wanting to converse and form a relationship with you, the viewer. This relationship is just like any other human to human interaction.

Happy Lion’s Gate! The cosmic holiday when the star Sirius aligns with the Sun in Leo, Orion’s Belt and the Earth. The ancient Egyptians revered this astrological phenomenon.

It’s been an adventurous experience; plummeting into the unknown and seeing where this art dream will take me! I can’t help but acknowledge clues along the way from the Universe that assures me ‘keep going’ and ‘you’re on the precipice of something’. With that said, the most eerie piece of the puzzle has been the depiction of people I feel compelled to paint over and over again.

I recalled a very distinct memory of my childhood. It was second grade and we were all taking turns looking at a book. Each page was saturated with a pattern of dizzying shapes and colors. Now, I know these to be stereograms; a 2D image that can create the optical illusion of a 3D scene.

In a career dedicated to creation - I can’t help but surrender to the instinctual role as mother. The blank canvas, an opportunity for conception. Then, an incubation period where a few brushstrokes turn into potential.

On a quiet summer morning in 2023, I awoke with the name ‘Agatha Christie’ very prominently in my mind. I thought how odd - the name sounds familiar but who is Agatha?

The idea of mastery can be daunting. It’s easy to look at the ones who’ve come before and think ‘wow I could never do that’.

The more I lean in and dedicate myself to this work, the more I realize that what wants to be made into existence will choose you. And so, here is a glimpse of some recent inner dialogue about how these new paintings are coming into form.