For two weeks, I walked past the display of two taxidermied swans, old, faded, and still remarkably beautiful. I named them Valentine and Clementine, and they inspired a series of images based on a story of their love. French in spirit and sentiment, these works are whimsical, wistful, and deeply romantic.

Each piece is built upon layers of decorative papers, including tissue, rice paper, and newspaper, applied to stretched canvas with acrylic paint and ink. The surfaces are enriched with both underdrawing and overdrawing using Conté crayon, china marker, Prismacolor pencil, oil pastel, and soft pastel, creating richly textured works that reflect the imagined story of Valentine and Clementine.