Melting Away | 12'' X 12'' IN
Mixed media: Collage, fabric, Oil pastel, and Aryclic, traditional textile, paper, ink and pen, block printing.
12'' X 12''
Ready to hang
My art is a way for me to stay connected—to nature, to memory, and to the animals we’re slowly losing. I use layers of fabric, paint, collage, and even real-world data to tell stories that feel both personal and urgent. These pieces are built from emotion and fact—stitched together to hold the weight of what’s vanishing. I’ve always looked up to people like David Attenborough—how he speaks about the planet with so much care, without blame, just deep honesty. That’s the tone I try to bring to my work. Not loud or preachy, just a quiet reminder to pause, to notice, to care. These aren’t just paintings of animals. They’re about what we inherit, what we risk losing, and the small ways we might still be able to hold on.
About this piece
This work is part of an ongoing series exploring endangered species and the impact of human behavior on the natural world. Melting the Ride began with the haunting image of a polar bear, majestic yet incredibly vulnerable, adrift on a shrinking patch of ice. That stark visual stayed with me, becoming a symbol not just of a species in crisis, but of the fragile balance we’re rapidly unraveling.
As someone with a background in science, I’m drawn to data and symbolism. In this piece, I incorporated actual statistics, on ice melt, habitat loss, and polar bear population decline, to anchor the emotion in truth. Visually, I layered collage, image transfers, paint, ink, and pen to reflect the tension between the natural and human-made worlds. The result is intentionally fragmented, a little chaotic, and a little broken, like the ecosystems we’re witnessing shift around us.
One of the most meaningful outcomes of creating this work was seeing it spark a response. Another artist in the chain created a piece about honeybees, two vastly different species, yet both endangered, declining at the same rate. That unexpected connection reminded me how deeply everything is intertwined.
I’ve always admired how David Attenborough speaks about the environment, not with blame, but with care, clarity, and a quiet insistence on hope. That tone influenced how I approached this piece. I didn’t want it to be loud or overwhelming. I wanted it to feel honest. Gentle, but clear. A pause. A moment to witness something beautiful and disappearing. A chance to care.
Because while this piece is about a polar bear, it’s also about us, our choices, our impact, and the small ways we might still mend what’s left.