I was honored to be the Fall AiR (artist-in-resident) at Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania, from September 9-29, 2025. I was interviewed on the Pennsylvania Wilds blog if you’d like to read about it here.

This was my fourth residency and it was a dream come true because I have ties to the area. I grew up in the Allegheny Plateau region near Youngstown, Ohio and spent summers camping in the forests of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, including the ANF, where my Dad taught me a deep appreciation for nature.

A huge thank you to the rangers and staff that helped make this such an amazing experience, with special thanks to the Allegheny National Forest Visitor Bureau and PA Wilds for helping to make the residency possible, April and Hannah for the botany field day, Julie and Lauren for all of their help, and most of all Kate for everything.

Donated Work: Trail Treasures

As part of my residency I donated a poster of trail treasures: colorful leaves, flowers, and other finds while hiking through the forest. It was so much fun to paint!

Here are some closeups so you can see it better:

Public Outreach Program

For my public outreach program I gave a three hour nature journaling demo at the Willow Bay Campground where participants could drop by anytime and take home a completed mini nature journal.

It was a joy to share my love of nature journaling and painting!

Nature Journaling Demo

I gave another three hour nature journaling demo during an all-employee meeting at Wildcat Park, demonstrating watercolor techniques for Forest Service rangers and staff.

It was so much fun!

Leaf Studies

As you might guess, I love painting fall leaves and couldn’t stop painting them!

This residency was an incredible experience that I’ll treasure forever.