Mundane moments of everyday life capture Stroud's attention and collide with her memories. A narrative forms in the conjunction between the lush American southern landscape of her upbringing and her current domestic life in the northeast. The humid Louisiana air lays the groundwork for her practice. Southern folklore, horror, and the dense swampy landscape of her former home seep into the paintings, just as it does her everyday. Following sometimes at a distance, and other times taking over her consciousness and then the paintings. Stroud is interested in the moments of tension that exist right before the horror begins. She uses the volatility of oil paint to guide her into these non-tangible moments. Through dense brushstrokes Stroud builds up the surface of the paintings and eventually finds herself in an unfamiliar space. In this space, she can investigate the intricacies of her personal history that are interwoven with the immense history painting carries. Stroud's practice is in a constant state of discovery, both of herself and of the rich environment of painting.