TALISMAN (2023-24)

Lessons of a Lifetime, Flashe on wood panel, 30”x80”

“From the head of the trail she could see nothing but a vast landscape, she couldn’t yet make out the small leaves and sharp spines of the desert scrub. Hidden too were the lessons of a lifetime and the talismans that would teach them to her.”

Dream Guide

Hiked the Canyon

Yucca Statues (Snake)

Fort Worth to Big Bend (Brown Bat)

Angel Fire to Taos (Fox)

Storm Clouds (Vultures)

Arizona to Texas (Bear)

Phoenix to Tucson (Armadillo)

Monk Constellation (Bison)

Tucson to Nogales (Jackrabbit)

ALTARS

Mope the Donkey II (Talisman of Kindness)

Coconut the Quail (Talisman of Motherhood)

Olive the Owl (Talisman of Observation)

Hunk the Skunk (Talisman of Humbleness)

Happy the Javelina (Talisman of Fearlessness)

Pearl the Opossum (Talisman of Resourcefulness)

Texas and True the Turkey Vultures (Talisman of Forthrightness)

Dutch the Deer (Talisman of Patience)

Bumble Bee the Brown Bat (Talisman of Your Inner Compass)

Caliente the Copperhead (Talisman of Wonder)

Monk the Bison (Talisman of Groundedness)

Roo the Roadrunner (Talisman of Endurance)

Artemis the Armadillo (Talisman of Autonomy)

Cowboy the Coyote (Talisman of Faith)

Mama and Peanut the Prairie Dogs (Talisman of Togetherness)

Gentle the Jackrabbit (Talisman of Awareness)

STUDIES

Where the Mountains Meet the Desert Floor (study)

Moon Cycle (study)

From Sunup to Sundown (study)

Where She Was (study)

Joshua Tree (study)

Second Visit (study)

Monk Constellation (study)

Storm Clouds (study)

Memory vs Photo (study)

Book

Lolly and the Talisman

*“Lolly began her pilgrimage with the sunrise. Soon, she would meet her greatest teachers.”*

SERIES STATEMENT

Talisman is a series of paintings, small sculptures, and a children’s book called Lolly and the Talisman. Together, the work is a storybook collection illustrating how a string of pilgrimages led a young girl to learn from the landscape. The stories take place in desert paintings of West Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Small clay sculptures of southwest-dwelling animals honor all of the amulets, trinkets, and talismans we as explorers feel compelled to collect on our adventures.

Sacred souvenirs have an ability to hold the magic of an experience and later serve as reminders of the lessons we learned during the journey. The desert and her inhabitants are incredible teachers if you take the time to know them. They demonstrate that tough paths can gift big rewards and you’ll always be pointed in the right direction if you listen to your landscape.