Ever since moving to this area [Harrisonburg, VA], I have gained a heightened self-awareness. Family, the home, and culture have been a reoccurring theme that I find comfort in. I decided to revisit my family portrait series more in depth, spending more time with them in an effort to give them more placement as an object in the world. In this series, again I have created simple line drawings, and incorporate hundreds of lines in conjunction, to the extent that the person is almost lost in the background. In the past, I have solely created individual, monochromatic portraits but thought the idea of incorporating more people in turn stumbling upon the idea of incorporating family portraits in the series. To further the depth of the image, I played with line size and spacing and color.

     The work pulls from elements that are found in the typical middle class American home. In this way, the viewer may have to work a little harder, in turn spending more time with the piece, to find the face or faces. Many of the portraits are carved on the back of vinyl flooring with the exception of a dinning room table, which contains a representation of my family.

     For some time, I have been wanting to incorporate more color but in a meaningful way. I had been grappling with a method of effectively adding color without detracting from the carving but rather complementing it. In these carvings, the painted surface is a distorted representation of the carved person rendered, in turn creating a double portrait in one work. The painted portion is intended to be viewed from far away in order for the brain to puzzle together the distorted face while the carved portion is meant to be viewed at a closer distance. I enjoy how the different portraits force the viewer to interact with the piece, moving closer and farther to find the faces.

The act of creating this repetitive line craving was not only meditative but taxing on the body. To add an additional dimension of memory, the material used plays a significant role. I thought using typical household items was also an important element of the work because for me the kitchen is the heart of the house, or the place where the family spends a substantial amount of time in.