Biography

there are delicacies in you
like the hearts of watches
there are wheels that turn
on the tips of rubies
& tiny intricate locks
i need your help
to contrive keys
there is so little time
even for the finest
of watches
-Earle Birney

In an ideal world I would introduce myself with this poem: It is like a smile or a handshake. It is pure and honest compassion. I discovered it my freshman year of college, when I needed it most, when it spoke to my sense of urgency and desire. Those ten humble lines stated my mission. "Hello. I need your help to contrive the keys."

As the daughter of artist, I was born native to art. Art was in my blood, art was a language I was raised to speak fluently, and I have never known life without it. As a child I was solitary and shy, and severe dyslexia made it difficult to learn alongside other children or to express myself in words. It has been my lifelong mission to find new ways to teach, to communicate ideas, to tell stories, and to express the complex inner worlds we all keep secret. To contrive the keys. The key is a symbol which is celebrated in my artwork, for it has the power to undo the locks which hold us prisoner, and open the doors which connect worlds.

Professional History

After much exploration and adventure I earned my degree overseas in Edinburgh, Scotland, graduating in 2006 with a degree in Visual Communication. While overseas I was enlisted as the resident American in an international computer game development team "Orpheus Laboratories," and was responsible for the art direction and story treatment of the "Microcosm" project. Returning to America, I finished my first graphic novel, Withershins, which was published online in 2007. In the same year Withershins won the attention of Vancouver production company Timeless Pictures and inspired a screenplay treatment of the story. In the time between I've kept busy with minor freelance illustration and graphic design projects, editorial illustrations, brochures, wine labels, and local newspaper advertisements, while working as a part time manager of the South Walden Schoolhouse Gallery.

Having been raised in the art world, I take natural pleasure in dealing with other artists and teaching to art to children and adults. I have taught classes focused on 'new media,' introducing a senior generation of artists to the digital age, and was a keynote speaker before the Essex Art League, giving a talk entitled "The Tools of Today" on the same subject.

Presently I run studio Hibernacula, a 'cabinet of curiosities' specializing in props, costume artifacts, and jewelry. My palette ranges from digital media to taxidermy and all directions in between as I strive to create objects that tell a story and ignite a sense of wonder.

My artwork features in galleries both in my native vermont and abroad and continues to gather awards and curiosity.