I make tufted fiber artworks that have the texture of a shag rug but hang on the wall like a tapestry. I started making this type of work in December 2020 when I was gifted a tufting machine and fell in love with how efficiently I was able to take a concept and turn it into a finished piece with this new tool. Using the tufting machine, I punch tufts of yarn into stretched fabric, then fix the yarn into place with adhesive, and finally trim away excess fluff with electric sheep shears. My work features many plant and animal figures in anthropomorphic or otherwise surreal situations, pointing to an absurdity that occurs where the manmade and natural worlds meet. Overall I portray this absurdity as whimsical, and the plush texture of the tufted fiber definitely contributes to the playfulness of the work. Lately, though, I have been working to weave in subtle layers of unease into the scenes in an effort to be more dynamic in my storytelling through fiber. My intention primarily is to make viewers of my work laugh and feel joy but also to consider our relationship with nature - how we simultaneously impose our control over it through domestication but also desire to see it as an unpredictable, untamed spectacle.