Where Boundaries Blur

2025
Acrylic on cotton

This piece is rooted in a lifelong relationship with the forests of Appalachia, where close attention to the natural world has shaped how I understand connection, story, and place. Early experiences wandering the woods collecting bones, observing animals, and learning through folklore and lived tradition continue to inform my work. These influences guide how I approach imagery as a response to what is already present in the landscape.

The painting depicts a woman holding the head of a deer, emerging alongside it from dense foliage that breaks beyond the frame. Orb weaver spiders and plant life are integrated into the composition, placing human, animal, and environment on equal ground. Shared visual elements, including mirrored features, suggest a direct relationship rather than separation.

The work focuses on connection and transformation within natural systems. It reflects a return to nature as well as an understanding of nature as interconnected and continuous, where boundaries between forms are not fixed but shifting.