Discovery by Sketch

I am a Southeast Alaskan sketch artist working largely in wild places to create evocative visual stories about nature, science, and culture. That means that I’m often outside: getting wet despite my umbrella, trying to keep my paper from blowing away, hoping that my watercolor dries enough before the next dark squall hits.

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I live in the tiny community of Hoonah on a huge wilderness island. This is the traditional territory of the Huna Tlingit, a place where massive brown bears outnumber people.
 

Although you can find me on Instagram (@discoverybysketch), I prefer to turn off my phone and travel in a cell-free universe, losing myself in colors, shapes, and textures.

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My artistic goal is to bring impressions of wild places into everyday living rooms. My art practice is the gift of a severe injury that, for a while, prevented me from being in the wilderness or even trekking through urban spaces. My work explores all levels of an environment, from toe-level to the full scene. I want to capture what the camera cannot, the emotional response and sense of wonder that comes from fully experiencing specific moments in a location.

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I bring my science-inspired style of observational sketching to the human-populated worlds as well. When traveling or exploring urban areas, informative text becomes part of the imagery and story. 

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At Hoonah City Schools, I teach observational art skills as a way to explore our unique environment.