I paint science fiction landscapes of the Sonoran Desert and portraits of its residents. I started the garment based on some of the fictional characters I paint, known as “shaman.” These are explorers and storytellers of the universe.

When designing the characters and the garment, I tried to imagine an alien astronaut whose purpose is to be a physical “senser” of the universe. This is based on a personal ideal of exploration without conquest, something I learned while growing up in Phoenix, feeling like an outside observer.

The garment started as a pair of work coveralls. I added some velvet texture with placement inspired by Southwestern wear. The tassels are meant to be like feelers reaching out to the environment. The colors are drawn from my paintings, which use orange, pink, and turquoise interchangeably throughout land, water, and sky. This project gave me the chance to reimagine myself as this character.