These sculptures share my commitment to sustainability with ethically sourced cactus and fossil wood, and my deep respect for Mother Earth. The desert ecosystems in our Southwestern deserts are the epitome of resilience and endurance in the face of adversity; these are the stories I not only sculpt but personally endure. Along with multiple areas of spinal compression, autoimmune diseases of fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis causes neuropathy in my arms and legs, with brain fog stealing my words. Every day I live with pain; pain breaks you down to your most elemental level, what you thought you are becomes what you were, and your life condenses down to what you care about the most. Every day when I open the door to my studio, I recommit not only to telling the stories of the desert, but also to my own story of resilience in the face of pain and adversity. My sculptures highlight the resilience of desert cactus and their ability to not only endure but blossom, sharing their secrets to show how We too can pick up the often-shattered pieces of our lives and build anew. I hope my sculptures ignite this visceral reaction which can initiate real change; the necessary resilience and commitment to not only endure but to change, with the willingness to open one’s mind to try new things, even when you could fail. These are the stories the Wild West still shares with us; these are the stories my sculptures hope to share with you.
