Pro-plant life was a hand-lettered and hand-cut paper illustration I did for fun! Inspired by all the local plants concluding their hibernation and coming back to life at the end of a particularly cold and dreary winter, this piece embodies the excitement of spring. To recreate that optimistic energy I used a paper-cut approach, layering trillions of little foam sticky pieces between carefully cut, colorful cardstocks. The process was as messy and labor-intensive as you’re imagining, but the tactile building method was necessary to really capture the energy I was looking for and bring the piece to life.

The phrase itself is a little tongue in cheek and came about during a time when “pro-life” became an unfortunate political chess piece. I wanted to inspire a refocusing on another form of life that I believed needed to be fought for but was being horribly overshadowed and distracted from for political and financial gain. Sometimes to beauty is more approachable and effective than fear and alarm (which tend to make people shut down and turn away) in sharing ideas that can be considered controversial or hard to swallow. For that reason, I employed a playful and light-hearted lettering approach that matched the energy of the blooming foliage behind. The final piece is eye-catching, uplifting, and exciting, but also has a point to make.