I am a visual artist working primarily in clay. My work is influenced by an upbringing in the Mississippi Delta, New Orleans, and the Gulf Coast, places rich in a myriad of cultures. My figurative work embraces this gumbo of flamboyance, color, soulfulness, and storytelling. I primarily work in red clay, as I have loved it since my youth and feel it is the true grit of the deep South. I have an interest in diverse figure study without gender or race, and often think of pieces as self portraits. These figures are adorned with layered, painterly surfaces filled with marks and small moments of botanical references. Mark making is both meditative and therapeutic, creating a sort of cartography which honors constellations, plant life, and destinations. Lines serve as placeholders for personal experiences, including timelines and trauma. I hope viewers think of my work as canvases of endless exploration, much as pages in a book or maps of the human body.