During my junior year at VCU I suffered a severe hand injury in which my nerves, tendons and artery were severed. After reconstructive surgery and months of physical therapy, I slowly began to regain use of my dominant hand. With limited mobility, I was forced to withdraw from school while I recovered. During this time, I began painting again since I was not yet coordinated enough to hold a pencil and execute the complex drawings required of a Scientific/Medical
Illustrator. Today I am fortunate enough to have regained my abilities and acquired newfound strengths despite having lost feeling in my hand. This experience has made me a firm believer that the art is in the mind of the artist and not in the hand.