Collage of Curiosities No. 27
August 2025
This summer has been quiet. The heated hazy days melding together with few exclamations amongst them. With the majority of those I love off on far flung adventures, I’ve spent my time among the animals and in the studio. New work and projects have materialized. During their creation I’ve had some small revelations.
I’ve turned some of my creative attention toward the sea, drawing its jewels. Taking the time, hunched over my desk with readers on my face, to capture the exquisite details of seashells in fine ink linework. While I most often feel called to depict the mystery of land-dwelling creatures (and don’t worry, these aren’t going anywhere), the ocean has been a part of my personal story since the beginning.
Born in San Diego to a Navy family, I grew up almost exclusively near the coast. I’ve known the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the Gulf calling each one “home” at some point in time. My mother dubbed me a fish,
as I’d spend countless hours diving into the waves hoping to finally transition into the mermaid I knew I was.
However, to say it is all past and only a memory would be incorrect. Staring at the ocean or catching the sweet scent of her peripheral marshes on the breeze still makes me hold my breath. My heart swells with nostalgic melancholy when I hear even the gentlest lap of the tide upon the shore. I cannot shake this from my being.
Today I live on the water, the Gulf itself only a mere mile to the south. During stormy periods I can hear her waves crashing from my home. Gulls dip in and out of my days and, more often than not, I can catch sight of a silhouetted dolphin fin as it slips back into the Intracoastal. It’s a part of my past, present, and future and I foresee exploring the sea in my artwork more in the future.
The siren’s call is too strong to ignore.
Drawing shells, coral, and barnacle I’ve collected through the years.
Spoils of the sea.
Mullet fish caught for me by father-in-law. Traditionally it’s caught using by wading through the shallows and throwing a cast net into the grasses.
New Icon paintings I created this month for the Grand Bohemian Gallery in Greenville, South Carolina.
The ivy covered patio at Duh Pensacola always inspires me.
Tree roots retaining a wall at edge of Reedy Falls Park in Greenville, South Carolina. They practically pulse with energy as the ivy intertwines with them.