In 2019, I began a body of work intent on discovering the overlap between the primarily masculine prepper culture and primarily feminine wellness culture in America. Both are organized around distrust of existing systems, as well as a form of magical thinking in which a desired physical or mental state can be manifested with enough will power and the right tools. This work incorporates nods to new age practices such as crystal healing, energy cleansing, and loving kindness meditations. It also incorporates elements drawn from doomsday prepper culture and apocalypse fiction (as well as the very real COVID-19 crisis) such as anti-radiation pills, "substitute" antibiotics, survival tools, beans and toilet paper, and other things that might be (or actively were) hoarded in a crisis.

Slingshot Crystal Holder, 2024. Glazed stoneware, healing crystals (opal, tigers eye, chrysocolla, serpentine), found slingshot. Approx. 12 x 15 x 4 in.

Three ceramic mounds support a thin, round, purple piece of wood. Atop the wood sits a sand-encrusted votive candle and a white ceramic pot that holds an aloe vera plant. The pot is decorated with text showing common pharmaceutical prefixes and suffixes and what they indicate.

Stash Ped, 2022. (Glazed stoneware, cork, painted wood, potted aloe vera plant, N95 masks, water purification tablets, fish antibiotics, 49 Cymbalta, dried Rancho Gordo pinto beans, potassium iodide tablets, found candle) Approx. 27 x 24 x 20 in.

Stash Pot, 2023. (Glazed stoneware, orchid plant, small bottle of painkillers) Approx. 7 x 10 x 14 in.

A blue nylon fishing net with black and white ceramic weights at the bottom. Scattered throughout the net are acronyms like TEOTWAWKI and FOOF. The net hangs from two rounded ceramic wall ornaments, one blue and one black.

Gill Net, 2023 (Nylon cord, glazed stoneware, plastic beads) Approx. 66 x 22 x 8 in.

A glossy ceramic rectangle with eight holes. Five of the holes contain green onions in the process of regrowth.

Propagation Brick, 2021. (Glazed stoneware) Approx. 9 x 4 x 2 in. Shown with in-progress propagation.

A narrow periwinkle blue wooden stool with two green rods and a lavender leather pillow at the back.

Birthing Stool, 2021. (Birch wood, steel rod, epoxy clay, goat skin leather, foam padding, acrylic paint) Approx. 37 x 23 x 10 in.

A matte black glazed bell hangs from a crossbar between two posts. All of this is supported by a speckled brown ceramic base.

Proximity Bell and Stand, 2022. (Glazed stoneware, jute twine, steel rod, epoxy clay, ferro rod, acrylic paint) Approx. 38 x 12 x 10 in.

A smallish leather and sheepskin punching bag hangs from steel chain. A fist approaches from the right.

A Sculpture for Punching, 2022. (Saddle-making leather scraps, sheepskin, grommets, shoelace, old towels, sand, steel chain, steel D-rings) Approx. 19 x 9 x 9 in. without chain.

Crumpled on the floor, a quilted weighted blanket made of a sagebrush patterned heavy canvas.

Cleansing Weighted Blanket, 2022. (16 lbs. hand-rolled ceramic microbeads, polyester batting, sagebrush camo fabric) Approx. 69 x 44 x 1 in.

A black-glazed ceramic pedestal shown coming apart into two pieces, revealing several rolls of toilet paper. A round black oil lamp with many wicks sits atop the assembled pedestal.

TP Ped, 2020. (Glazed stoneware, 5 rolls of toilet paper). Shown with Oil Lamp, 2020. (Glazed stoneware, fiberglass wicks, lamp oil, copper ball). Approx. 28 x 9 x 9 in. combined.

A blue conical form made of woven reeds sits on the floor. At the top, several pink ball shapes support an round black oil lamp with multiple wicks. The lamp is toped by a copper ball.

Fish Trap Pedestal, 2020. (Dyed reed, steel rods, wire, acrylic paint) Approx. 38 x 14 x 14 in. Shown with Oil Lamp, 2020. (Glazed stoneware, fiberglass wicks, lamp oil, copper ball). Approx. 7 x 9 x 9 in.