"This trip was going to be my first trip to Europe as an adult and I was especially looking forward to spending time there at the same time as a few other artists whose work I've been following and admiring. During my time in Denmark, it was amazing to see all the cultural differences to where I live in the United States. People would leave racks of clothing outside all day and night with a venmo QR code to pay for them and leave bikes unlocked. It is a beautiful thing that people have the trust in others in the public to do the right thing. I also took notice of so many things in my new surroundings, from the structure and color of the environment, including stone and warm tone clay finishes. The different birds and flowers I would see making my way through areas of the city. And lastly the ethical sense of the public and overall safety.

In my work I'm always interested in the historic touches brought into modern everyday life. To my delight I came across some viking crosswalk lights in Aarhus that hearken back to the viking settlement that started the city. It's the small little details in a city like that that give me joy. While I was there, Aarhus was windy, and it featured so many green spaces filled with flowers, trees, birds. This artwork shows two playful magpie's in a fragrant Linden tree. I wanted to create an active scene full of energy and the mischievous character of the magpies seen in the area, to remind me of my special time in the city."