About

Art has always spoken to me. Throughout my life I’ve found any way I could to create — endless paper dolls as a seven-year-old, sewing unique clothing as a young teenager, experimenting with oil painting and watercolor before college. I could always be found with some kind of art supply in hand, or spread across my room and the house (my mother can attest). I grew up loving to read just as much, losing hours to a book, cherishing rainy days most of all.

At college, tucked away next to the Blue Ridge Mountains, I took my first real art classes, and the spark I’d always carried grew into a full flame. It was there I discovered printmaking, and was drawn immediately to its particular character.

Then life took its turns, as it does. Between marriage and becoming a mother, both art and reading got lost in the minutiae of it all. When I did pick up a book that wasn’t a textbook, it was usually a parenting or self-help title — valuable, but missing the simple joy of reading for reading’s sake. All the while, art kept calling, and I wanted to find a way to hold onto both — being an artist, and being fully present as a mother.

After a few years, I connected with some other moms in my neighborhood and started a book club, and the spark of reading was reignited. I read and read, loving the stories and the small thrill of each page turned — or, let’s be honest, each audiobook chapter.

Last year, I discovered The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, and my two worlds collided. The rich imagery felt made for artwork, and I began carving designs of my own. That’s what brought me here: sharing literary-inspired designs with you, in the hope of inspiring you to slow down, look up, and connect with the people around you.

I grew up on the cusp of widespread smartphone use, phone in hand since my teenage years. Two years ago, I found myself worn out, frustrated, and stuck. After some serious reflection — and a few really good books — I decided it was time to disconnect in a major way: I cut out hours of screen time and deleted every social media app. The fruits were immediate — less stress, less comparison, and room to focus on the joys of motherhood in a new way.

I strive to eliminate hurry, to clear away the excess from my time and my life — and I hope this work does the same for you. The slow, intentional process of carving produces art that can serve as its own quiet reminder: to notice, to linger, to stay present with the people and stories around you.