Here is a photo of my installation in De/Reconstructed Self

This is my artist statement for the photography installation in Intersect’s Spring 2022 exhibit, De/Reconstructed Self.

March 2022

Six years ago, my husband and I moved into our little house in Dogtown and I became a gardener. Gardening quickly began gently and kindly instructing me in the ways of life. It taught me how the world and time moves on, despite my sometimes debilitating perfectionism and constant need for control. In fact, it moves on in beauty, even moreso, growing over and choking out my inner weeds, the weeds that burrow deep into my soul to choke me. 

Now my weeds are buried deep beneath the soil to decay productively, as they should. 

Gardening taught me that I am capable of learning and holding knowledge in my mind for a longer period than just a year. It taught me that I learn best when I am alone, and then it taught me why. 

Two years later I became a mother. I quickly realized how mothering is not much different than gardening. My mother is also a gardener. She planted many seeds in my heart over the years. The more they grow, the more I can see the abundance she has been planting my whole life without my even noticing. In fact, every day, it feels like another seed, planted by my mother long ago, is introduced to the light for the first time, and begins to grow. 

Mothering and gardening now, together, hold my two hands all day every day, leading me gently and offering encouragement and confidence to continue learning the ways of this beautiful life.

I now understand that every part of life is not much different than gardening. 

Everything needs light to live and to prosper.

What light shines on the little seeds buried in the hearts of my family and me? The light of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God for gardening and mothering and fathering and for light and for wonder and for children and for family and for seeds. 

Praise God for these seeds.

Soli Deo gloria.