From the Riverbed
The Aroostook River is never the same twice.
We’ve lived on this river for almost 20 years, and the only thing that has remained constant is the enormous rock that tells us when it’s safe to explore — and the endless supply of glass.
In the winter, the river freezes. In the spring, icebergs form and ice jams build, and the river becomes incredibly powerful, ripping entire trees out by their roots. Then, as summer approaches, it settles into a gentle flow. We live below the Caribou Dam, and with farmers pumping water for crops above and below us — combined with the naturally shallow stretch we live on — long dry periods can expose the entire riverbed.
That’s when we explore.
Stones, perfect pebbles, glass, and pottery fragments appear — all shaped by years of moving water. Every now and then, we even find an intact bottle. Pieces that were once discarded find their way here, softened and changed by time… and usually covered in an unbelievable amount of silt.
We’ve collected materials from the river for nearly two decades, and this is where my art begins.
Letting the River Lead
The materials used in my Aroostook River Illustrations are found within the riverbed itself, beneath the water. Sometimes that means snorkeling on a hot summer day. Other times, after four rainless days, the river simply disappears and becomes a wide, rocky beach. Perfect pebbles, pottery, river-worn rocks, and softened glass sit waiting, shaped smooth by current and season, no longer sharp in the ways they once were.
Each piece feels like a little treasure.
I don’t go looking for specific shapes or colors. I pick what’s there and figure it out later. Most years, we collect around five pounds of glass. One year, I’m pretty sure we picked twenty and over all the years combined, we’ve gathered more than 100 pounds of river glass.
Finding glass while snorkeling is much easier. Once the riverbed dries, everything is coated in a film that makes it hard to tell what’s a rock and what’s glass. Sometimes I can’t even determine the color until I dip it back into the water.
The glass goes into a tumbler to remove the grit, then gets rinsed. A touch of olive oil brings back its natural color. The tumbler doesn’t create smoothness, it simply enhances what the river already did.
From Story to Illustration
In the winter, I draw.
All Aroostook River Illustrations start as a story — an idea, a moment in my life, a little message about nature, love, and sometimes loss. I pair these riverbed finds with archival ink, gouache, watercolor, or sometimes just let the elements tell the story. A piece of glass might become a bird. A pebble might suggest a head. And the amount of heart-shaped pieces in the river… well, there is no shortage of love.
There’s something meaningful about letting something once broken take on a new role — not hiding its past, but allowing it to become part of something gentle and whole.
My soul relates to that.
Why Each Piece Is One of a Kind
Because every piece of glass and stone comes from the riverbed, no two illustrations can ever be the same. Even when themes repeat, the materials can’t.
That difference matters to me. It’s what keeps the work honest.
Each illustration is an original — framed and ready to display. They’re made one at a time, slowly and intentionally. What they share isn’t uniformity, but a quiet sense of balance, shaped by nature first, then by hand.
Inspired by Quiet Moments
The Aroostook River Illustrations are inspired by simple things: nature, animals, family, love, and everyday life. They aren’t loud or perfect. They’re meant to feel unique, calm, and familiar — the way the river feels to me in the summer.
These pieces tend to find homes in places where people want a sense of stillness — a bedroom, a nursery, a hallway, a quiet corner. They don’t demand attention. They connect.
Rooted in Place
Using materials found within the Aroostook Riverbed keeps each piece connected to where it — and I — come from. The river isn’t just inspiration. It’s part of the work itself.
My life in Caribou, Maine shapes everything I make. The landscape, the seasons, the wildlife, and the river quietly influence the art, whether I intend it or not.
Explore the Collection
The Aroostook River Illustrations collection grows slowly as new pieces come together. Each artwork is framed, ready to display, and created by hand using materials found within the Aroostook Riverbed.
You can view the current collection here:
→ View all Aroostook River Illustrations
