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Please scroll through to see my work regarding local and non-native amphibians.
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Arboreal II
This teapot features a Grey American Tree Frog as the spout, a Leopard Frog on the lid, and a Birch Tree as the handle. It is inspired by the interconnected nature of amphibians, flora, and water.
Emydidae
This teapot features a Missouri three-toed box turtle as the spout and a smaller turtle as the lid. The handle is inspired by twisting tree roots which can be found along the banks of a creek or river. Though not a species of concern, the populations have been declining due to loss of habitat and these turtles face many threats, such as the pet trade and climate change.
Arboreal
Most recently on display in the Forest Park Gallery of Contemporary Art, this wall piece features a Grey American Tree Frog.
The Fruitless Hunt
Most recently on display in the Forest Park Gallery of Contemporary Art, these pieces are individually sculpted. This work is unfinished, in terms that I will continually create new cane toad heads, to represent the ever-growing presence of this species. They are extremely damaging to the environment.
Cane Toad
Most recently on display in the Forest Park Gallery of Contemporary Art, this piece is sculpted using white stoneware with porcelain details.
Endangered Species
The Ozark Hellbender is an endangered species endemic to a small part of southern Missouri and Arkansas. This piece is a Chimera, incorporating elements of toads, frogs, and the Ozark Hellbender. This discusses their shared issues regarding pollution, mining, loss of habitat, Chytridiomycosis- all of these elements are extremely detrimental to the health of these amphibians. This piece was accepted into the 2020 exhibit at Art St. Louis, Creatures II.
Endangered Species
The Ozark Hellbender is an endangered species endemic to a small part of southern Missouri and Arkansas. Here, the use of natural, earth tones, combined with jarring, neon, toxic colors, speaks about the Hellbender's connection with its environment regarding time, as well as pollution. The Hellbender has not changed in its over 8-million-year long existence, causing it to be considered a "living fossil". These pieces rest on fossils which are found locally and are quite abundant, speaking to their connection with the past. These pieces will be on display at the St Louis Artist Guild in the summer of 2022.
Mining
Mining has been a detrimental influence on Ozark Hellbenders, as the silt fills in the areas where they prefer to reside; it also decreases their habitat space, and the metal content is damaging to their health. These pieces rest on metal slag, collected while cleaning local creeks. The surfaces have been left stark, to symbolize their population decrease.
Loss
The Hellbender has been declining in numbers; this species dropped by about 80% in the 1980s, and it would be an unfortunate loss, as they are an integral part to the cycle in their environment. The absence of color in this work speaks to the decreased population, and the "rips" and tears speak to the fragility of this species.
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