Earlier Work

Before my current series, my process was rooted in situating myself within the Northern California landscape. As a woman of color practicing plein air painting—a genre historically lacking diverse representation—the simple act of painting outdoors became both a personal assertion of pride and an act of resistance.

Driven by a desire to remain outside, I experimented continuously, translating raw sketchbook drawings into finished works on paper and panel. In the process, I fell in love with the region's vast, expansive spaces and the infinite ways we represent them. These early paintings mark the beginning of my ongoing narrative—a crucial foundation of space, place, and presence that eventually led to my current exploration of home, borders, and belonging. 

Interested in how these paintings begin?