I started making papercuttings in 2011 after an injury left me unable to dance, hike, do yoga and other physical activities that were part of my artistic and my everyday life. One day, during my healing period, I picked up an X-Acto knife and created a cut-out of a woman’s back. I was struck by how satisfying it was to remove segments of paper to create an image. I later realized what a welcome metaphor for life this was—how we can find simple beauty and joy by cutting away that which no longer serves us. Of course, paper is crisp and thin and therefore often easier to extract than the viscous and clingy parts of oursevles, but practice is a good thing. For me, the X-acto blades—inexpensive and easy to replace—offer a sharp reminder of how to keep going.

My work tends to explore themes of nature, spirituality, the body—and often how the three converge. I lean toward the quirky and whimsical and often look for some sort of “edge” in an image—the unexpected, the odd, the improbable possible. Frequently, the images—and my making of them—invite me to transcend struggle by reminding me of joy and levity.

Visit my other web site to learn about my other artistic and community endeavors.