Jackmanii | A summertime series | The places we occupy shape us. I often use photography to document the unique moments that give a space its character. Photos are a beautiful way of freezing time, to be able to visit a place, a memory, over and over again. Photos help us remember our experience of a place that we can no longer see, to awaken feelings that we haven’t felt in a while.

In this series, I have used the photos I’ve taken to serve as a guide for these paintings. These are an improvised and embellished re-imagining of those places that I’ve occupied or visited that hold value to me. My hope is that as these embellished pieces are viewed, they will plant seeds of wonder and creativity into the hearts and minds of those who will enjoy them. A series named after a unique flower, Clematis 'Jackmanii'. Just like this flower that blooms in the heat of summer, this series was also born in the summer. This beautiful climbing flower blooms a bright purple color, which you will also find represented in each of these paintings. 

As the Jackmanii climbs, it grows, and as it grows, it climbs. While the spaces we occupy shape us, we are not bound by them. We are free to grow out of our spaces, forever carrying pieces of them with us on our journey, all the while still blooming. This series is an ode to those places, as I take the next step on my path.

Inspired by: 

Washington, DC | Jeanerette, Louisiana | Madison, North Carolina | Richmond, Virginia