When I spend time in the woods, I often walk with my eyes on the ground rather than the sky. I am drawn to those small, unnoticed aspects of the natural world which nevertheless perpetuate great growth and change. Under the large and lofty trees of any forest is a carpet of tiny treasures: mosses and lichens, stones, acorns, seeds, delicate blossoms, the skeletons of fallen leaves. While they may seem inconsequential, they are an indispensable facet of life. The forest floor witnesses growth, death, decay, and new life in a continuous cycle which fascinates me.
I am struck, too, by the ephemeral nature of these tiny forest treasures. I love to collect them, but when removed from their time and place of origin, they become dry, faded, fragile things that lose their original beauty and significance. In my work I strive to recreate the importance and beauty of these lost things in a way that grants them a new life, or a bit of permanence.
