BEHIND THE STORY | I’ve spent a large part of my life living and working in the Appalachians. Over the years I’ve witnessed the intense changes that have taken place in the land and also within my own family in disputes over land and mineral rights, battles with addiction and the trials that come with simply trying to make a living in a place that for many only care about for its resources. Regardless, my love of the land and appreciation for the natural beauty of the region, along with a stubborn streak from growing up hard are in my blood and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

It’s a place I affectionately call the “In-between”. A no-man’s land that is constantly shifting and changing, while somehow still staying stuck in time. Special in it’s own kind of way, not for everybody, but for the few that understand it there is nothing more intoxicating. A place where it feels like time stands still and you can feel the ancient pulse of the Earth rise beneath your feet.

Every drawing evokes this shifting sense of place though intense layers of watercolor and mixed media - a dramatic little snippet caught somewhere between the nostalgia of memory, a relative’s outlandish story and a rumor whispered under bated breath…while the photos capture distinct moments in time and the sketchbook pages offer a sense of immediacy hard to express any other way. Together they’re an exploration of my relationship with the land and daily life in the Southern Appalachians, peppered with the sublime qualities of the American landscape tradition. My hope is that by sharing my story with you, you can see and understand the beauty of it in all its raw glory too.