This summer I visited Canyonlands National Park’s Island of the Sky District for the first time. Staring down into the canyon, I was disappointed to see a road. Before becoming a National Park, Canyonlands had a history of mining. Roads like this one were built for mining purposes. To show how exploitation of the land leaves scars on the landscape, I used an Exacto knife to cut the canvas along the road. What scars will the next generation see? Image credit: Mining Scar, 2021

This painting is based on a camping trip in Yosemite National Park. I remember my husband and I woke early in the cold morning before dawn in order to get to Tunnel View where we could photograph the sunrise. While it is a beautiful memory, I recall staring at my phone the entire time. How do you balance being present in the moment and taking pictures? Image caption: Tunnel View, 2021 | Oil on canvas | 24x48 inches #yosemitenationalpark #contemporaryart #fortcollins #colorado

Inspired by the wilderness advocate Edward Abbey, I have spent the past four years creating work around the nexus of recreation and stewardship. I have devoted myself to exploring the relationship between humans and nature as well as facilitating dialogue about human encroachment of public lands. Overcrowding of natural areas is a problem of increasing importance in today’s world. According to the National Park Service, visitation to national parks reached 327.5 million visit

Last weekend of Paradise Lost! Here's a look behind the scenes at the installation. Overcrowded is definitely the most challenging piece to hang! I am so thankful I had my mom and dad here to help! Thank you Art Lab for providing this wonderful opportunity to exhibit my art and the use of ladders! Thank you Mom and Dad for all of your support and for coming all the way out to help me hang my show! I love you both! Exhibition dates - July 14-August 1, 2021 Hours - 1-5pm, Wedne

Here’s a sneak preview of the stickers I will be giving away tonight! Each one is made by hand. These are some of my favorites! Let me know which ones are your favorites and I will make more of them today. Tonight’s events: Conversation with a ranger – Friday, July 23 at 6-7pm Artist talk - Friday, July 23 at 7-8pm Join us for a conversation with a Rocky Mountain National Park ranger about outdoor ethics! Immediately following I will give an artist talk about my solo show Par

Paradise Lost is currently on view at Art Lab Fort Collins! Please join us tonight at 6 pm for the artist reception! Paradise Lost explores the nexus of recreation and stewardship. Featuring a breadth of mediums including paintings, wall hangings, installation, and embroidery, the exhibition invites viewers to analyze their relationships with nature. Paintings span from untouched landscapes to those seen through screens and windshields. Merit and demerit badges reframe and mo

I do not know what I would have done without my studio practice during the stay-at-home order. Immersing myself in my art helped me cope with the sadness and scariness of so many people dying alone. I remember one difficult day in particular when I sat at my easel and painted with tears streaming down my face. I just kept painting and after a while, the act of painting calmed me. My art practice grounded me and gave me a sense of purpose. Pre-COVID-19, I had an idea for a pai

Mark your calendars to attend Paradise Lost, a solo show featuring my work! My latest work Do Not Leave Food Unattended (shown above) and more will be on view! Exhibition dates - July 14-August 1, 2021 Hours - 1-5pm, Wednesdays – Sundays Artist reception - 6-8pm, Friday, July 16th Location - Art Lab Fort Collins 239 Linden St Fort Collins, CO 80524 To preview the show, click Paradise Lost. Image credit: Do Not Leave Food Unattended, 2021 | Wool, wire, tree stump and Cheetos |

This painting of an outstretched arm snapping a selfie portrays the contemporary experience of nature through digital devices. Selfie is about social media and how we use nature as a way to gain popularity and get likes. Even park visitors who strive to leave no trace may not consider how social media “sharing” drives visitors to national parks and causes congestion in places that are valued for their seclusion. Viewers may begin to question their role in nature and how socia

Bison Jam puts the viewer inside a car looking at a herd of bison blocking the road and raises the question of whether that road should exist. This photo was taken in Yellowstone, where I was able to view wildlife from the comfort of a car. Experiences like these launched my investigation of how devices, screens, and windows prevent an authentic experience of nature and narrows one’s view. Image credit: Bison Jam, 2019 | Acrylic on canvas | 48x24 inches #fortcollins #colorado

“We must make up our minds and decide for ourselves what the national parks should be and what purpose they should serve.” [1] Enticing viewers to an idyllic landscape that can only be reached by walking through panels depicting human activity, my installation work creates a space for viewers to examine the dichotomies between the human desire to preserve the wilderness and to enjoy it. These photos were taken on a trip to Yellowstone where I witnessed people getting dangerou

The National Park Service’s arrowhead emblem inspired the shape of my I Leave No Trace patch, which features Delicate Arch. I like how the letters got a little lost in the design. They are not leaving much of a trace. . . What tips do you have for leaving no trace? I look forward to reading your comments below! Image credit: Merit Badge: I Leave No Trace, 2020 | Embroidery floss on fabric #fiberart #embroidery #patch #meritbadge #fortcollins #coloradoartist #contemporaryart #

The warmer weather has me longing for spring and thinking of wildflowers! Image credit: Merit Badge:: I Do Not Pick Wildflowers, 2020 | Embroidery floss on fabric #contemporaryart #fortcollins #coloradoartist #embroidery #meritbadge #patch #fiberart #recreation #stewardship #recreateresponsibly #leavenotrace

The merit badge I Do Not Feed Wildlife was inspired by a chipmunk we came across while hiking in Yosemite. The chipmunks had been fed so much that they were not afraid of people at all. In fact, they were aggressive. They would run up to your pack in search of food the second you set it down. Image credit: Merit Badge: I Do Not Feed Wildlife, 2020 | Embroidery floss on fabric #artandecology #recreation #stewardship #meritbadge #embroidery #fiberart #patch #contemporaryart #fo

In today’s world of video games, SMART phones, television, computers, and social media, it is easy to lose touch with nature (Anderson and Guyas, 2012). As a result, many people do not realize how their lives, actions and choices are impacting the environment. Or if they do know, they do not seem to care, at least not enough to make changes in their lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprints. Fortunately, though, this is not true for everyone. Artists, scientists, educators

Continuing with the theme of vandalism, I created this painting of a rock with the words “eat pizza” written on it. We were hiking in the Grand Canyon when we came across this graffiti. While some may find it funny, vandalism is costly to national parks. Image Credit: Eat Pizza, 2020 | Acrylic on canvas | 8x10 inches #fortcollins #coloradoartist #contemporaryart #recreation #stewardship #acrylicpainting #vandalism #leavenotrace #artandecology #graffiti #nationalpark

To correspond with the demerit badge Tree Carving, I created the wall hanging Vandalism in National Parks. This map shows the number of vandalism incidents from 2013 to 2015 in Western national parks. I used a sewing machine on the state and country borders and sewed the mountains and rivers by hand. I was thinking about how borders are defined by governments, the machine, whereas mountains and rivers are natural features. By sewing the mountains and rivers by hand, I made th

My final Demerit Badge is Tree Carving. After coming across several vandalized trees in Rocky National Park, it seemed fitting to make a patch of a tree split down the middle by a broken heart. The P stands for people and the E earth to show how people have broken their relationship with the earth. This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park on a hike to Gem Lake. Image credit: Demerit Badge: Off Trail, 2019 | Embroidery floss on fabric | Approximate 3x3 inches #arta

#unionhall #unionhalldenver #denver #colorado #art #coloradoart #museum #artactivism #artandecology #contemporaryart #cuboulder #nest #nestcuboulder #artivisim #digitaltour

Today is the digital tour of Co-Terminous with curator Erin Espelie. Join here from 5:00 to 6:30 PM (Mountain Time)! Also, the last day to see the show in person is Saturday, January 9, 2021. #unionhall #unionhalldenver #denver #colorado #art #visitdenver #coloradoart #museum #artactivism #artandecology #contemporaryart #cuboulder #nest #nestcuboulder #artivisim #digitaltour