I am a Printmaker engaging drawing, design and print as a catalyst to contextualize and represent everyday occurrences, historical ephemera, cultural myths and narratives. For nine years, I have been part of a print collective, Burning Bones Press and the Texas printmaking community at large. I also teach printmaking and 2-D design at the Glassell School of Art and for 9 years taught at the Kinder High School for Performing & Visual Arts and other local community spaces. Now, I am pursuing an MA in Graphic and Web Design from Minneapolis College of Art & Design to broaden my visual capacity and create impactful design in a community of creative thinkers, investigators and problem solvers. My art practice is a visceral response to everyday life and the stimulus of situations. Key to my process is exploring the past and finding inspiration through offbeat trailblazers and those who flew under the radar or challenged the mainstream. Through a funky irreverent approach, my work questions my values and those of the culture around me, reflecting ways to cope while attempting to be unrestrained and honest. I use found images and my own drawings to collage, contextualize, and transform their meanings. Applying unconventional approaches is a crucial part of my practice. I rely on and am captivated by the play and process of print manipulation. I approach printmaking with non-traditional materials and use them to manipulate the printing matrix, such as applying fabrics and creating texture with everyday objects. I further push the printed image by drawing and painting directly onto the prints, each print evolving into a unique image. The community nature of printmaking, as well as print’s role in the history of ephemera, has drawn me to pursue an MA in Graphic and Web Design. Printmakers have a common language that is manifested through communal print shops and a willingness to share and nurture visual experimentation. Leading workshops at Burning Bones Press, exchanging ideas and techniques with colleagues, and creating events for our community at large has provided an invaluable experience growing into an engaged creative. I believe communication art through design reflects the Printmaker ethos but also pushes boundaries and spans a larger audience. I am particularly passionate about poster and book arts, with a soft spot for hands-on craft. This opportunity to study graphic design at MCAD has elevated and expanded my formal design skills, as well as fostered a more purposeful design practice. I am drawn to the investigative, cross-disciplinary and practical, yet experimental approaches of graphic design. As an MA candidate, I am exploring the connection of community between artists in collectives, such as print shops and its impact on surrounding communities. How printed media such as books and posters have engaged and influenced culture and how to push design beyond print, into virtual spaces. Furthering my knowledge in graphic and web design, I can use skills to refine and propel the organizations I’m part of to larger audiences. It would also be an exercise in documenting, preserving, and archiving a thriving community. My current capstone project, Pressed & Sown is an on-going study, educational resource and DIY project to highlight the importance of native plant conservation in Texas and neighboring North American regions. Utilizing craft and DIY ethos of printmaking and paper making, Pressed & Sown brings awareness to preservation of native plants and strengthening communities through craft. This project consists of screenprinted posters designed to educate and highlight native plant conservation, what a native plant is and how they are beneficial to communities. The posters are designed as an instructional project kit to upcycle materials into a hand-made paper, containing plantable native seed materials and how to use native plant dyes. It is also an exercise in documenting, preserving, and archiving a thriving community.

I am a Printmaker engaging drawing, design and print as a catalyst to contextualize and represent everyday occurrences, historical ephemera, cultural myths and narratives. For nine years, I have been part of a print collective, Burning Bones Press and the Texas printmaking community at large. I teach printmaking and 2-D design at the Glassell School of Art and other local community spaces. Now, I am pursuing an MA in Graphic and Web Design from Minneapolis College of Art & Design to broaden my visual capacity and create impactful design in a community of creative thinkers, investigators and problem solvers. My art practice is a visceral response to everyday life and the stimulus of situations. Key to my process is exploring the past and finding inspiration through offbeat trailblazers and those who challenged the mainstream. My work questions my values and those of the culture around me, reflecting ways to cope while attempting to be unrestrained and honest. I use found images and my own drawings to collage, contextualize, and transform their meanings. Applying unconventional approaches is a crucial part of my practice. I approach printmaking with non-traditional materials and use them to manipulate the printing matrix. The community nature of printmaking, as well as print’s role in the history of ephemera, has drawn me to pursue an MA in Graphic and Web Design. Printmakers have a common language that is manifested through communal print shops and a willingness to share and nurture visual experimentation. Leading workshops, exchanging ideas and techniques with colleagues, and creating events for our community at large has provided an invaluable experience growing into an engaged creative. I believe communication art through design reflects the Printmaker ethos but also pushes boundaries and spans a larger audience. The opportunity to study graphic design at MCAD is elevating and expanding my formal design skills, as well as fostering a more purposeful design practice. I am drawn to the investigative, cross-disciplinary and practical, yet experimental approaches of graphic design. As an MA candidate, I am exploring the connection of community between artists in collectives, such as print shops and its impact on surrounding communities. How printed media such as books and posters have engaged and influenced culture and how to push design beyond print, into virtual spaces. My current capstone project, Pressed & Sown is an on-going study, educational resource and DIY project to highlight the importance of native plant conservation in Texas and neighboring North American regions. Utilizing craft and DIY ethos of printmaking and paper making, Pressed & Sown brings awareness to preservation of native plants and strengthening communities through craft. This project consists of screenprinted posters designed to educate and highlight native plant conservation, what a native plant is and how they are beneficial to communities. The posters are designed as an instructional project kit to upcycle materials into a hand-made paper, containing plantable native seed materials and how to use native plant dyes. It is also an exercise in documenting, preserving, and archiving a thriving community.

I am a Printmaker engaging drawing, design and print as a catalyst to contextualize and represent everyday occurrences, historical ephemera, cultural myths and narratives. My art practice is a visceral response to everyday life and the stimulus of situations. Key to my process is exploring the past and finding inspiration through offbeat trailblazers and those who flew under the radar or challenged the mainstream. Through a funky irreverent approach, my work questions my values and those of the culture around me, reflecting ways to cope while attempting to be unrestrained and honest. I use found images and my own drawings to collage, contextualize, and transform their meanings. Applying unconventional approaches is a crucial part of my practice. I am captivated by the play and process of print manipulation. I approach printmaking with non-traditional materials and use them to manipulate the printing matrix, such as applying fabrics and creating texture with everyday objects. I further push the printed image by drawing and painting directly onto the prints, each print evolving into a unique image. The community nature of printmaking, as well as print’s role in the history of ephemera, has drawn me to pursue an Master of Arts degree. Printmakers have a common language that is manifested through communal print shops and a willingness to share and nurture visual experimentation. Leading community workshops in print and exchanging ideas and techniques with colleagues, has provided an invaluable experience growing into an engaged creative. Creating mixed-media art with print reflects the Printmaker ethos but also pushes boundaries and spans a larger audience. As an MA candidate, I’d like to explore the connection of community between artists in collectives, such as print shops and its impact on surrounding communities. It would also be an exercise in documenting, preserving, and archiving a thriving community.