Inspired by summers in the deep south, Southern Charms captures the heat of long days, vivid sunsets that accompany the starry cobalt evening skies, the fervor that lies in the thick humid air, resonating with the sound of cicadas and the sparkle of fireflies.

With ruminations and meditations around nostalgia, desire, regret and dignity, this work contemplates summer experiences as an adult versus a child. The work is reminiscent of my childhood summers, spent climbing the branches of magnolia trees, chasing butterflies, sunburns, popsicles stains and the lingering scent of gardenias. The paintings are meant to feel like scrapbook memories, with creatures, charms, and textures of summer. They are a reflection on summer as a season and as a life lesson, reminding us to embrace the lush, liveliness of it all, while simultaneously acknowledging the impermanence of it, knowing the flowers will wilt and the daylight will dwindle.

It is my intention for the female form to hold a distinct and dignified “mother nature” presence in the work, highlighting the power that women hold to nurture and grow, especially during a time when bodily autonomy rights are being stripped away. The female form, either blending in or starkly emerging, symbolizes the versatility of women and our ability to seamlessly go through cycles, parallel with nature. Through my curiosity and admiration of the cycles of nature, I am reminded that the magic, mystery and multitude of beauty and change that exists within nature, also exists within us.