Inspiration:

This piece is inspired by a traditional family tree. All families start with 2 people. They are the center of every branch. The roots of the tree are what are planted in our hearts. They are what keeps us going. No matter where I go, my family is with me.

What role does art play in your life?

Art is what connects me to my emotions, my past and my future. Art is a way I say the things my words can't. It is an expression of my inner self that no one else sees.

Artist statement:

Through my last 10+ years of incarceration, connection has been a major catalyst. In dealing with the emotions that go along with connections - both forming them and breaking them- art has been my greatest tool. As I think back, art has been a central part of my entire life in so many forms. I am a daughter, sister, mother, friend and also an inmate. I am from a rural country town that connects me to nature. Now I live in brick and mortar. Art takes me back to every connection I've ever had.