I am a self-taught embroidery artist born and raised in Northern California. My mother taught me how to thread a needle when I was 8 years old and the next several years of my life were spent completing cross stitch kits while watching taped episodes of The X-Files.

Unaware that it was even possible to turn my hobby into a career, I made the almost arbitrary decision to become an archaeologist instead. I attended UC Santa Cruz and University College London, receiving degrees in anthropology and environmental archaeology, while experimenting with my own embroidery designs in my free time. During those semi-studious years, I traveled Central Asia and the Middle East as an archaeobotanist. My job was to gather evidence from archaeological sites in order to study the intricate relationships between people, plants, and their natural surroundings. Although I loved my work, I didn't feel at home in the world of academia. I had a strong need to spend my time creating something tangible and beautiful, and my needle and thread had been with me all along.

Today my work is largely influenced by ghosts of my life as a scientist: botanical motifs, explorations of place identity, rigorous attention to detail, precise drafting, and the challenge of navigating that shifting space between 'perfect' and 'good enough'.