Artist Statement:

“Hidden” shines a UV-light on the mysterious world that exists beyond the spectrum of what our eyes can perceive. I have also produced a sketchbook that accompanies my paintings. The book contains preliminary sketches, botanical illustrations, and information about UV-absorbance that will hopefully guide viewers in understanding that, even though they deviate from scientific accuracy, the patterns in my paintings are based on a naturally-occurring process. To abundantly capture their magic, I exaggerated the vibrancy and saturation of the markings to appear brilliant and other-worldly to inspire viewers to consider the marvelousness of our natural world. The world is infinitely more complicated than it seems, and in ways that we cannot easily perceive. Learning about the presence of pollinator-attracting embellishments on flower petals reminded me there is so much more to discover about the natural world in which we are interwoven.