NATURE & GARDENS
Nature calls us to beauty, mystery, and wonder.
Meadow, 2026. Digital collage. 28”W x 21”H. NFS.
Image Sources: Bird illustrations courtesy of the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, Montgomery County Audubon Collection, and Zebra Publishing. Magnolia illustration by Mark Catesby (1683–1749) via USF Digital Commons. Rockbridge County (VA) historical map courtesy Rockbridge Historical Society. LOVE Barn Quilt sculpture in Staunton, Virginia created by artist Sally Shomo. Background photograph of the Scott-Hutton Farm in Lexington, Virginia (on the National Register of Historic Places) by Graziella Jackson.
During COVID, I began to convert my small lawn just outside Washington, D.C., into a native wildlife habitat.
Like so many of us, I was stuck at home and worried about our declining health—as humans and as a planet—and wanted to find some way to help. I also lost a very dear friend and artistic partner after an aggressive ten-month battle with cancer, and needed a way to work through my grief.
I started researching climate-resilient gardening and native habitat restoration. I learned the history and practice of garden design. I studied native horticulture and plants. In two years, I had replaced 50% of our lawn with climate-resilient native perennial gardens, following resources from the National Wildlife Federation and Virginia Native Plant Society.
As I planted, a vibrant community emerged. Neighbors stopped by to ask about my project and get tips for converting their own lawns. People driving and walking by stopped to take and post pictures of the beautiful habitat that emerged. Hummingbirds, goldfinches, swallowtails, fireflies, dragonflies, and bullfrogs all returned to our yard. As my own backyard habitat flourished, I became interested in it as a subject for art. When I left that home and garden behind, moving to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 2024, I began formal study in natural science illustration and botanical art.
Today, I study and reflect nature in my artistic and literary work and believe that art has a role to play in protecting our human and planetary health. I love connecting people with nature in a way that improves wellbeing, fuels creativity, supports wildlife, and protects our planet and home.
I am part of RISD’s Natural Science Illustration program and am a member of the American Horticultural Society, Virginia Native Plant Society, and American Society of Botanical Artists. I also have studied botanical art through the New York Botanical Garden.
Featured Botanical Art & Illustration
