2023 / shirt & clothing tags / 16” x 20”

Growing up as an undiagnosed autistic child the clothing tags in my garments would often cause me overstimulation and sensory pain. When I realized my son was also sensitive to clothing tags I began cutting them off and collecting them. This work is an outward expression of sensory overload caused by a single clothing tag.

A short film was created during the collection of these tags titled, Meltdown Prevention.

2023 / short film

This film is a documentation of sensory care. I am shown carefully removing clothing tags from my son’s clothes while he plays nearby in the studio. By recording the process I am making this invisible care visible.

Clothing tags are a sensory trigger for both myself and my son. Due to neurological differences in sensory modulation clothing tags can contribute to sensory overload. Removing tags is an act of care to prevent overstimulation and related meltdowns.

The tags collected were used to create a companion piece titled, Meltdown.

2022 / textile / 11” x 15” x 17”

This piece visualizes my mental health during the first two years of motherhood.

2022 / video

A visual representation of my brain “on motherhood.” During the postpartum period I experienced a surge of creative ideas as my brain formed new neural pathways and struggled to function due to lack of sleep.

This piece is a still frame animation filmed using my son’s corn popper.

It is the titular piece of the My Brain on Motherhood series.

2023 / lost items

The lost items for this work were found while excavating under the living room couch.

Lost items include:

red pony beads (5)

red plastic marble

red glass marble

red sensory chew bracelet

red acrylic dot

yellow k’nex circle

yellow DUPLO two stud

miniature yellow trophy

yellow pony beads (3)

yellow k’nex semicircle connector

yellow hemisphere

orange pony beads (6)

orange basketball golf ball

miniature carrots

transluscent peach pumpkin

pink bouncy ball

pink pony bead

purple pony beads (4)

purple k’nex connector clip

purple smart links connector

purple and blue smart links dinosaur legs

periwinkle smart links connectors (2)

blue sensory chew bracelet

dark blue magnetic puzzle piece

blue glass marbles (2)

aqua blue smart links connector

aqua blue glass marble

aqua blue rhinestone heart

aqua blue pony beads (4)

ankylosaurus dinosaur magnet

green plastic marble

green pony beads (3)

clear plastic screws (2)

white plastic marble

clear tangle link

silver plastic marble

silver thumbtack

silver music box key

silver and black batteries (2)

double ended screwdriver

magnetic legs and shoes

miniature copper key

small wooden drumstick

cheerio

animal cracker

chewed wooden bead

wooden beads (2)

brown cylindrical DUPLO blocks (2)

This was an ephemeral piece, but the digital photographs are available for exhibition.

2024 / clear hose, broken toys, detritus of motherhood / 24” x 16” x 12”

2022 / short films

These films explore my autistic experience of nonlinear time and space.

My perception often expands or contracts due to my atypical neural processing.

During periods of overstimulation or hyperfocus everything melts away and I exist in what I have come to describe as a pocket of neurodivergent space time.

2024 / chalkboard & white ink / 21" x 27"

This chalkboard is scarred from years spent in an unsuitable and hostile outdoor environment. Its identity is warped because it did not have the care and support needed to thrive.

An autistic child is scarred from years spent in an unsuitable and hostile academic environment. Their identity is warped when they do not have the care and support needed to thrive.

2023 / VR 360

An immersive experience demonstrating the hyperconnected way my I experience the world. Because my autistic brain does not prune synaptic pathways my brain is constantly processing more information than those who are not autistic: sensory input, memories, and connections that most people would overlook. I co-created this installation with my child to represent the hyperconnectivity I experience each day in the role of mother.

2023 / broken toys, detritus of motherhood / 28” x 25” x 8”

Click here to view video footage.

2022-2023 / digital photography

This work was created in collaboration with Claire Venus.

We exchanged photos once a day day documenting our lives as neurodivergent mothers in the Northwest of Arkansas and Northeast of England.

You can read more about the process here.

2021 / wool blend fiber and wood / 26”x27”

This data weaving documents the number of times I was interrupted by my one year old son during its creation. Each knot represents a moment I stepped away from the loom to tend to his needs.

Watch the process here.