In 2003 I created the first series that has instructed all my pieces up to this point. In this series entitled Modern Mental Health, I begin to explore ideas that are socially and personally difficult - the topics we collectively choose to avoid in polite company. I wanted to dedicate a series of works based on mental illness/wellness due to the frequency of it in our society, and also because it is an issue I've been forced to come to terms with through friends, family, and personally. Formally, these works introduce stylistic elements I continue to employ in my current pieces, including the use of dense bugle beading, integration of narrative text, and embedding of found objects. I do not traditionally frame my work (primarily due to its tactile quality) so in these pieces I was attempting to resolve that by utilizing fabric 'framing'. Collectively, this series has won three awards in juried exhibitions.
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