Minted x PBteen

What's your story in a nutshell?

I grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and during high school I used every free moment in classes to doodle in my notebooks. I spent my first semester of university in London, which pushed me outside of my comfort zone and introduced a love of traveling. I returned to the U.K. a year later for a semester at the Glasgow School of Art, during which I inadvertently fell in love. After graduating from university with degrees in fine arts and Spanish, I got married and moved back to Scotland. It was exhilarating to start fresh, but after struggling for a few months to find a job, I stopped looking at the idea of working for myself as just a distant dream and jumped into it head first.

Who is your favorite artist?

Cy Twombly. I'm always completely awestruck when I see his work in person, as there's such a sublime beauty to it. Viewing his work is really more like an experience for me. It's difficult to put into words, but I find it impossible to just walk by his work without stopping for a while to fully immerse myself.

Where and what inspires you when you are creating art?

I draw most of my inspiration from my surroundings and places I've visited; for my BFA thesis, I explored the idea of capturing senses of place through art, albeit in a different medium from what I usually work in now. When I take walks in a new place, I collect small objects—branches, pebbles, shells—or make small sketches or take photographs of such objects to later draw upon. These little mementos are visually interesting, and I'll often use them as source material for textures or color, but they also help me to remember the specific place in a more personal way.

What is your advice for artists who are just getting started?

It's so important to have a community of other creative people with whom you can share ideas and ask for criticisms. In college, we had group critiques several times during a project, which was very helpful because it allowed us to get an idea of how others perceived our work. In art school, you have a built-in community, but for artists who are starting solo, social media is a great tool for sharing your work. However, it's imperative to not compare yourself to others too much. Every artist has a unique perspective to offer, and someone else's skills don't negate your own.