My art compositions are mainly botanical and floral influenced by my love of nature and the outdoors. I gain inspiration from walks through various urban and rural settings and choose subjects to paint by what speaks to me – their simplicity, contours, flow as well as their imagery and architectural shapes.

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In fall 2022, I came across a fascinating group of Trametes versicolor growing on an old tree stump during my walk through the Botanical Gardens of Ozark in Fayetteville, Arkansas. I was captivated by the unique markings and varying colours of the disc-like shapes of this Trametes versicolor. These mushrooms are commonly referred to as Turkey Tail due to their shape that resembles a wild turkey tail’s feathers. When viewing my photos, I was struck by how the shade intensified the various blue tones of the mushrooms. For my reference drawing, I selected a section of the concentric zones to showcase in coloured pencil their patterns, shapes, rhythms, and tones. I wanted to accentuate the range of blue values yet include a touch of the grays, ochre, and sienna to provide warmth to the image.