How would you describe your practice?
I love the word practice to describe art because it’s just trying over and over again, to just figure out what your visual language is, what you want to say, and who you are. And, the practice genuinely never ends.
My practice is incorporated into my life in many ways. Being an artist is something that you just can’t separate from yourself. I guess describing my practice is more like describing me.
A lot of my work is floral. I like to work with concepts of grief and sorrow––heavier ideas or emotions––expressing them through color and seemingly cheerful motifs, vignettes and compositions. When you look at a flower painting, it seems a little more inviting. I think that that eases people to be able to explore some of the tougher emotions that we might have.
I would say my practice is very emotional, figuring and exploring my own emotions and wanting for people to also explore theirs. It’s like a conversation.
How did you find your art style?
I haven’t been doing artwork for very long; it’s been about three years. I remember deciding that I wanted to be a painter three years ago, but I had no experience at all. And, it’s funny that we just talked about practice—I just decided that I had to start practicing. I made a promise to myself to paint a painting every day for 30 days. And it’s emerged from that.
I used to do a lot of abstract work, and then emerged into a more floral, light and airy sort of look. I also lived at this flower farm, Ralph’s Ranch, when I was starting my art journey, and that environment has been infused into my work.
Flowers are beautiful. They’re seen as this very delicate aspect of nature. But, I also feel that they’re underestimated. I think that they’re really strong. Flowers add so much to our lives. We like to cut them and bring them into our homes; they’re what you give to someone whenever you’re telling them that you love them. And, people spend a lot of time and work growing flowers. They represent so much more than just soft, sweet emotions.
What inspires your work?
My lived experience and things that pull at my heart inspire my work. I like stories of people and their lives.
There’s this painting over in the corner [of the gallery] of this woman in front of her 100 year old Rhododendron tree. She planted it when she was one, so it’s a 100-year-old woman in front of the 100-yearold tree. Whenever I look at that painting, especially after I finished it, I realize that she is standing in front of her life. I decided to call the painting, “I Love You This Much.” I love themes of abundance and overwhelm because, to me, the Rhododendron tree looks kind of like an explosion.
I find a lot of inspiration from my friendships and the people in my life that I really care about. I’ll be hearing a story about what one of my loved ones is going through, and I’ll want to paint it. And, a lot of the time it comes out in florals.
What do you find challenging and/or rewarding about using pastels?
Pastels are really hard to use. There was a time in my practice, maybe a year and a half ago, where I stopped trying to control it. It’s dusty and it gets everywhere. I do use oil paint too. But, I like to use oil paint sticks, which are chunky and hard to control. I find it really rewarding.
There’s always stuff in art that mimics life: the more you can try and control the medium, the worse it is. I think there’s such a difference between working with pastels and painting with pastels. You want to work with them and let them do what they want. You’re also a medium for the medium, if that makes sense.
What does it mean to be a full-time artist?
The most common question I get asked about painting is, ‘how long did this take you?’ And I can understand why people ask that question because maybe they want to sensationalize that it took 90 hours or whatever. But, I don’t think good art is predicated on whether someone’s a full-time artist or how long something took them. I think that if someone’s an artist, regardless of if they have a nine to five, they’re a full-time artist. Someone can constantly be an artist even if they are, for example, a doctor, too.
A lot of people are really obsessed with the title of a “full-time artist.” I think that, coming from someone who doesn’t really have another source of income, that’s a silly aspiration. People get really caught up in the time aspect of art, and it’s like, “No, don’t worry about the time. Worry about the art.”
How has the internet kind of shaped your career?
The internet has allowed me to be self-represented. It’s also been an incredible tool for connection. I have a marketing background, and so I will put on my marketing cap instead of my artist cap to share my work, which was super embarrassing at the beginning. But, I had to keep reminding myself that art is meant to be shared. The internet has connected me with people from all over the world. I’ve sent paintings across the globe, and that would just never have happened without the internet. It’s all about connection, which is why this gallery exists. Connection is the reason why I wanted to create this gallery space in the first place. I wanted to actually talk to people, see them in person, and show them my work.
What does it mean for you to open your own gallery?
It was really surreal. It came a lot faster than I was expecting. It was a dream that I thought about every day for three years.
It definitely wouldn’t be possible without Sarah Bytyqi and the Verbode team. She is a huge partner with me in this, graciously shares her space with me, and is also just like an art lover herself. Verbode has been hosting art shows in Oklahoma City for about 10 years, and so having almost what I would consider a residence here has meant a lot to me. It means a lot to me to invite people into a space and show them what feels like all of my thoughts and emotions.
What’s your favorite Oklahoma art museum?
Probably the Western Heritage Museum, which is kind of a curveball for my work. My grandfather and my grandmother are big Western art collectors, so I grew up seeing all of these bronzes and horse paintings. I love going to the Western Heritage Museum and looking at the Native art. I love Remington, his bronzes and night scenes. It’s funny, because I don’t gravitate towards collecting Western art or even really making Western art, but I just love that museum because it reminds me of my childhood.
What artists have inspired you?
There’s so many. I feel very inspired by Monet and the greats, but when I think about my favorite artists, it’s my neighbor Isaac who makes ceramics. Or it’s my friend Brittany Phillips, who owns a vintage shop (and curation is an art). Or, it’s my friend Britta Newton-Tarron who wrote the poem for the gallery opening. Those are the people that I feel the most touched and inspired by.
What would you say to someone who wants to be an artist?
The best art comes whenever you’re really taking care of yourself. I’ve noticed that I do my best work whenever I’m well-loved, well-fed, and really good to myself. If someone wants to be an artist, in any real sustainable capacity, I would say––at least for me––it was a lot of inner work. And I remember writing ‘I want to paint. I want to do it so badly. I don’t know why I don’t just do it’ for months on end. It took me a really long time to actually act on that. I think that I only was in the right headspace to act on my creative impulses when I started focusing on my well-being. If someone wants to be an artist, my advice is to take care of yourself first and I promise the art will follow shortly after.
This article appears in Dec 24-2025.