statement

Through my work I present visual experiences. I begin by observing things around me. The closer I look though, the less clear these things seem. Drawing becomes a dialogue between form and process, representation and abstraction, imagined and real.

My recent drawings of organic objects were inspired by traditions of natural history and botanical illustration. I'm captivated by the way they combine rigorous observation with wonder at the natural world. I work from specimens, sketching and photographing to compose a larger image. I'm absorbed by the task of seeing increasing amounts of detail and rendering forms and surfaces.

Although these drawings imply an objective, scientific inquiry, they really are the result of a lengthy, subjective process. Observation gives way to a cycle of building and erasing to create a highly personal drawing. Through this process I hope to highlight our connection to the natural world and our joint vulnerability.

bio

born: 1968. Toronto, Canada

education

Concordia University, MFA, 1994
Queen's University, BFA, 1990

selected awards/honors

Pine Needles Artist Residency, Minnesota Museum of Science, 2015

selected publications

INDA 9, Manifest Press, Cincinnati, Ohio, 2014
Flyway, Journal of Writing and Environment, June 2014

selected solo or two-person exhibits

Des Moines Botanical Center, Common Garden Variety, Des Moines, Iowa, 2015
Edith Smith Gallery, Intimate Nature: Drawings by Tara Shukla, Grinnell College, Iowa, 2013
Waldemar A. Schmidt Gallery, Rope Drawings, Wartburg College, Iowa, 2010