My Story
I feel most alive and connected when I'm outdoors, surrounded by the quiet wonders of nature. The fragrances of honeysuckle, pine needles and rain-soaked earth; the songs of birds and cicadas; and the touch of sun, wind, or rain on my skin bring me a deep sense of peace and renewal. Gardening and being present to nature’s rhythms remind me daily of the beauty that is continuously unfolding around us.
This connection to nature flows directly into my art, whether papermaking, book making, mixed media painting or slow stitching. For me, art is a way to capture those fleeting, sacred moments in nature and turn them into something tangible, something that invites others to pause and see the beauty they may have overlooked.
My passion for the beauty of the natural world has guided my educational endeavors. My first college degree was in the study of Ornamental Horticulture. In midlife I felt the pull toward a different form of creativity, so pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Art. Sensing a connection between nature, creativity, and spirituality, I went back to school to explore these connections, earning a Master of Arts in Religion from Yale Divinity School. As part of my time there, I was an artist-in-residence at the Yale Landscape Lab, creating art in dialogue with the natural world around me.
Since then, I trained to become a spiritual director and nature contemplation guide.
In 2019, my husband and I moved from Connecticut to the Greater Nashville, TN area. Here I continue to explore art-making techniques, the landscapes which surround me, and offer classes, retreats, and soul companioning.
“The glory of God is the human being fully alive.” - Irenaeus (120-200 AD)
I believe . . .
life is an exhilarating journey of the soul meant to be grounded in and lived through our body here on Earth
we are creative beings designed to create something beautiful with our lives
we have gifts to offer the world
we share a connection to others and to all creatures
What do I mean by soul-care?
In the Celtic and Early Christian traditions, the word soul meant the whole self - heart, mind, body, and spirit.
I believe that soul care is the art of discerning what it is that makes us come alive, and then developing practices to promote and support that. When we do, we are better able to draw near to God because we approach with our authentic selves.
My own practices are gardening, creating art, walking, hiking, slow stitching, spiritual reading, contemplation, and sharing experiences with family and friends.
These practices can be thought of as various ways to pray.
Vibrant
vigorous, energetic, radiant, sparkling
from the Latin vibrare - to vibrate, shimmer, sparkle
resonant – to resound, echo, or ring
Growth
the process of growing or development
Arts
to learn
from the Latin ars, artis – to join, fit together, articulate
skill, craftsmanship, creativity
the humanities – the quality or condition of being human
Viriditas
[Latin] verdure, greenness, freshness
Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th century abbess, used this word to describe “the greening power of God” which animates all things.
She also taught that viriditas is the place where God’s Spirit and the human spirit meet.
