I was born in a small mining community in Virginia. My father was a coal miner, my grandfathers were coal miners, my uncles were coal miners, and most of my cousins wanted to grow up to be coal miners. The coal industry crafted my identity as surely as my family and the mountains we all called home. By the time I was in high school, the coal companies were in decline, and the defining characteristic of the coal towns began to shift.

I moved away to become a teacher, which I did. Then, the pandemic happened and I shifted my priorities and began to pursue my art in a more focused way. I completed an MFA in Studio Art from East Tennessee State University in May of 2024.

I am an artist, photographer, and author. Why limit yourself, right?

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