ALWAYS LEARNING
EVER EXPANDING
ENDLESSLY EXPRESSING
Creativity is my constant companion as I seek to hear, understand and express my surroundings. Painting is my favorite and greatest teacher. Design gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me awake at night.
PAINTINGS
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Becoming
The Müggel See spoke of spiritual transformation to me. I unknowingly saw myself as an icy lake with dry brittle grasses at its shore, sitting next to barren branches against an overcast sky. However, God sees the sun breaking through the clouds to melt my icy heart allowing life to flourish and move within me as life moves within water. God sees the trees blooming and grasses reseeding. The divine sees what we will become.
Black Bird
Drawing inspiration from nature has always been key in forming color combinations for my work. I pay attention to colors that ignite a moment of joy. A blackbird with a bright orange beak sitting on bare branches against the remaining winter snow caught my eye.
New Heights
Looking up. Finding joy in climbing color and visible texture. This imagery reminds me of the breathtaking rock formations of the western United States.
Hope Study
A study for the painting "New Heights". Experimenting with the placement of shape and spot color as well as texture and movement outlines.
Underlying Hope
Finding myself able to breath deeply when I look at the balance, proportion and repetition of this piece. In the past months I have noticed the light gray - fogginess of uncertainty and lingering loss. I have been subject to the dark gray - the pandemic in the middle of everything. And I’ve been reminded that the hope (yellow) is present even if it’s stuck on the bottom at times. These days still test my endurance but there is a bright ring of truth holding each factor in place. Is life really organized into three nice shapes? No. Some days still feel like the frustrated textures of chaotic lines but I’m increasingly aware that light is making itself known.
Beauty In Tension
As we seek God, He breaks through in our lives with love and revelation when we're experiencing doubt and discouragement (gray area) due to unexplainable life losses. The lower white area is the past, full of clarity but now clouded with current hurt. The area of text and bright color represents the moment God breaks through this place of tension with his words. His perspective becomes our focal point in the midst of difficulty. Threads of light can be our source of strength.
Overlapping Emotions
Allowing myself to process loss has exposed my canvas to something unfamiliar. Undefined shapes and bold colors overlap as do the thoughts in my own mind. Jagged edges and linear scratches give a voice to the raw reaction my body has to grief. Layers of feelings interact with one another until they have been understood.
Passing Storm
Working through grief sometimes feels like a constant storm. The storm blows in, passes and returns. There are moments when color shows itself to give our heart a break from loss. Days come when the sky clears and the clouds lift. We may still feel a wash of gray settle around us but slowly become aware that space is being made for the suns return.
Breaking Through
The dark is unsettling, heavy and present. But the light demands focus. It breaks through and holds me in stillness. Here there is time to recognize loss while simultaneously anticipating change over time. As the moon breaks through storm clouds, I take a deep breath knowing the light is present even if subtle. The contrast almost makes the light seem stronger.
New Dawn
A new dawn is around the corner. Light comes over the hills into a new year with a hint of vibrancy at its edges and a touch of shadow carrying over from this past year. We can accept what was and move toward what will be with hope. Let the balance of bright and dark live together harmoniously as a new chapter begins.
Risk of Faith
Risk of Faith is a comparison between overcoming doubts in my painting process and working though anxieties of unexplored paths. The intense red represents the constant loud voice of worry and fear when approaching something new. Fear can keep me from experiencing the beauty of the unknown. The yellow circles speak to moving forward in faith. The warm colors and hopeful text at the base of the piece give voice to the peace that is possible on the other side of uncertainty. Moving into the realm of the unseen can result in surprising delights.
Encourage
Sometimes I just need a reminder to let myself be bold….to look at life and take a chance with something that I’m passionate about. This painting gives me an encouraging push toward what might be next on the horizon.
Bold Certainty
Not having control on the canvas and watching something bold and beautiful transpire is a good reminder that I can trust that God goes before me on this journey and can use my life circumstances to reveal unexpected joy.
Lament
This is one of several gestural works that helped me process through a period of grief in a healthy and productive way. The text is from the song lyrics for "Unraveling" by Cory Asbury. The black strokes of paint are a refelction of my frustration with constant change, transisiton and loss.
Unraveling I
Sometimes we feel unraveled and sometimes we need to unravel the feelings and thoughts that have become a tight mess of unprocessed emotion. This method of painting was very therapeutic. The gestural lines and bleeding paint formed a place where I could safely leave locked up emotions that needed to be released.
Unraveling II
Unraveling II is the second piece in a series of me specifically processing grief and loss. There is a combination of heaviness in stroke and bold color to communicate the heaviness of grief and it's various stages. The scratchy repetition of fine lines expresses how thoughts come back over and over with a relentless abrasion.
Lifetime Together
This painting tells of a journey that two people begin together as they see the horizon in the distance and all the memories they will create in between. Together they may enjoy countless sunrises or sunsets. Together they can be in awe of each step they take together toward the vision they share for the future.
Layers
The cracks in rocks draw my attention. While painting this I thought about how God's strength holds us together when we face tragedy and sorrow. In a similar way, a rock, when exposed to extreme weather is held together by the strength of the surrounding rock. The cracks become a part of our story. The cracks are touched by the sustaining, comforting presence of God. They become a bookmark of God's help and refuge during troubled times. "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." Psalm 18:2
Walk in Freedom
Walk in Freedom with devotion to the Lord’s commands. Find joy as you stay on the road revealed; His instructed plan. And on this path you will find wisdom follows close behind. Strength it gives to He who lives with Christ first in mind.
The water and mountains of this painting embody the stillness of nighttime where clarity and wisdom are nearby. The colors black, grey and blue are intended to illustrated peace-filled strength and calm wisdom. The words are held in by paths of black ink which symbolize roads taken in life. These roads run parallel to the mountains. As the mountains represent the majesty of God, it is my hope that your paths will run parallel to his glory.
The water and mountains of this painting embody the stillness of nighttime where clarity and wisdom are nearby. The colors black, grey and blue are intended to illustrated peace-filled strength and calm wisdom. The words are held in by paths of black ink which symbolize roads taken in life. These roads run parallel to the mountains. As the mountains represent the majesty of God, it is my hope that your paths will run parallel to his glory.
Be Still
This painting represents a peaceful stillness that comes from understanding God's majesty as it presents itself in nature. Blue, black, gray and white resemble how mountains and water might look in the moonlight. The stillness of this landscape and time of day remind me of words found in Psalm 46:1, 10 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. He says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Sacred Place
This painting is a story of how a flood of overwhelming and sometimes grievous circumstances (black) intertwines with our daily commitments (blue). Even when the day to day seems good, sometimes the mix of stress threatens to pull us under. But there can exist a sacred place (white) in the midst of tumultuous times which is the peace of God entering our story as a point of calming grace. All of theses factors exist together to create a picture which is beautiful while filled with tension.
Diverging Paths
Sometimes growth means going in a similar but separate direction. The past is in sight and remains an important part of our story. The rich lessons we learn from our previous years can create a rich foundation to inform our future.
Planted
We are surrounded by a consistent reminder of growth as we look to the promise of abundant life through Christ. If we allow ourselves to place our circumstances in the presence of God’s perspective, our life moves along like a stream held at the banks by love and grace.
Blooming
At times we find ourselves in a long period of layered growth. In retrospect we realize all those layers were moving in a distinct direction. The intensity or color and the upward movement of this painting are reminders that we are free to flourish and can expand toward the next steps in our journey with trust in God’s purposes.
Bold
This series is meant to show how strength can be found in the organic growth of relationships. In the overlapping colors there is boldness, movement and texture. Similarly, when our life intersects with another, a new beauty and richness can be experienced.
Overlap
This series is meant to show how strength can be found in the organic growth of relationships. In the overlapping colors there is boldness, movement, and texture. Similarly, when our life intersects with another, a new beauty and richness can be experienced.
Progress
One color moving into another reminds us of the fluidity of transitions. During the demands of change, each day can seem separate; disconnected and insurmountable. As time moves forward, we can find that change may be progress. God is constantly moving around us to blend our experiences with his beauty and purposes.
Retrospect
When looked at in retrospect, the obstacles in our paths can take on new meaning. Stepping back and taking in an overall picture reveals clearer perspectives. What seemed like obstacles become stepping stones along our journeys. And near to each stone or obstacle exists flourishing movement.
Connection
We move toward one another in love and this overlap of lives creates beauty. The relationship between paint colors is meant to reflect the intricate and bold beauty of Christ’s love in us, spreading into the lives of those around us. One color is not more important that the other just as we are of equal value. As we allow others to become a part of our lives and move toward them in humility, We will find that richness and newness are the result.
Rock Series
Each layer represents a distinct moment or stage of our overall story. Every crack and crevice, no matter how disruptive, is an undeniable layer of our life. Building from one chapter to the next, our stories take shape and create an overall picture of something full and intricate as years progress.
Calm
A marriage blessing to friends. May this marriage be a place of calm. And may many layers of love, peace and joy overflow here.
Beauty in Transitions
Layers. Storms, calm and times of vibrance create the layers which build our individual stories. Each part, although separate by color and line, is part of the overall piece. This analogy to our own lives touches on the idea that looking back over time gives us clarity about our journey and its various seasons. Each season interacts with and builds upon the next.
The Gift of New
Moving forward and letting go of the past isn’t easy when tiredness runs high and endurance seems at a low. I wrote this text to capture how weary I felt but also to gain perspective of how releasing the past would be my best hope for finding new gifts ahead. Hope on the Horizon, gentle truth to catch the soul. Light the dim and displace heart where weariness takes its toll. Toward the ridge of light, with darkness still in view. Timidly release what was to behold the gift of new.
Expectations
The Journey. We find ourselves in difference stages of understanding and experiencing God. On the shore of gaining perspective and knowledge. In the waters of healing and restoration. Or in the mountains of perseverance, struggle and service. May you be encouraged in every unique place in your spirirual landscape.
Outlines
These two pieces tell a story of progression from one life stage to another. There are hills and valleys, ups and downs which are accompanied by peace. The light pallete is a prayer for the roughness of transition to be smoothed out by knowing that someone greater than us sees the bigger picture.
Formations
I have a continuous facination with sedimentary rock formations. They show the passage of time with a weaving of linear patterns and colors. I wrote this text in response - Formations over time create beauty in line with the truth of a Creator making trials turn divine. The lines in this painting remind me of how the trials of life settle and new seasons come on top of what was. What was a trial becomes a place in our overall story but not the end of it.
Into The Sea
At times, paintings come directly from song lyrics. "And this mountain that in front of me will be thrown into the midst of the sea" was from a song written by Kristene Elizabeth Dimarco, Horatio Gates Spafford and Phil Paul Bliss. "It Is Well" was a companion for me through times when there seemed to be many mountains in my life. It is well with my soul.
Telling Fields
The story of a year which has passed. Something was planted, tended, and harvested. Similarly we can look back on a year and see what has been sown in us. What has taken root? What has been tended to and what withers away? What awareness has grown? What is to come? A field in winter holds a story of the past but also contains hope for a time yet unknown. Similar to us, the soil will undergo a new process of cultivation.The soil dreams of what will come.
Allegra's Dream
My daughter dreamt that I painted something square with a lot of reds for our friend, Mat. As I had been thinking about what to paint for him, I began with her dream and added a song that was his favorite at the time. The colors and thread of light gray through the middle reflect the lyrics of the song.
Passionate Pursuit
This is a prayer for its viewer. May you live with courage and boldness in your pursuits. As you do, I pray that Christ will be an outline of light that brings definition to who you are and depth to what you do.
Where We Meet
Friendship tells a beauty story of how two peoples stories begin to meet creating one new story with dynamic tension. As the two colors in this artwork are complementary so are friendships. Relationship creates a vibration which moves back and forth just as the eye moves back and forth between colors in this painting.
Stone River
Cool water over and through rocks is a picture of being refreshed even as we forge ahead. Water constantly moves as it navigates over rocks and remains steady on its path. May we find ourselves able to move with ease while taking necessary time to navigate the rocks along our path.
Stone Lake
The movement of daily life begs for a place of calm. The slow movement of water over rocks allows a certain tranquility to enter into our chaotic mind space. This place of rest cannot be easily stirred.
Beloved
The lyrics of a song became a painting for my dearest friend. It's about moving out of a place of gray discouragment into a reality of orange bold truth about who we are. The words create a new foundation of identity from which peaceful symmetrical stability can form. And the sky is left open to call us toward the possibilities of growth.
In You He Dwells
1 of 3: I love seed pods. I have to pick them up every time. The color, the texture, the story of what can grow from what seems dead.... It's all inspiring. My friend had fabric that seemed to match perfectly.
You Are His Child
2 of 3: Let's focus on the materials for this explaination. I incorprated as many textures as possible for this series of three works: Fabric, found objects, painted wood and acrylic paint. I felt that the simplicity of composition would be balanced well by the complexity of materials.
He Delights In You
3 of 3: And now an explanation of the text: "He Delights In You" (as well as "You Are His Child" and "In You He Dwells" on the previous paintings) are lyrics from a song I wrote but also familiar language found in scripture which explains our relationship with God.
Dream
Painted to express the formation and progression of ones dreams. This pursuit and its stages are represented by a path of stars and linear layers. Each is meant to tell of moving to the next stage of life while still persevering in the pursue of destiny. Understand with clarity the dream which beckons you to respond. Pursue that vision with courage, passion and perseverance. Believe that you are able to accomplish that dream.
Green
What started as an experiment with texture became one of my favorite paintings. One morning I woke to find that my young daughter had pinned one of her drawings to the painting. I found this to be a sweet reminder that we long to be like those we look up too. And we need to be seen and heard. To this day, there are still four pin holes in the center of the artwork.
Mountains
This series of paintings is a visual picture of life stages. It is a story of moving forward and persistently making our way through the mountains; the steep inclines and the brutal valleys. As we move further on in our physical and spiritual journeys, we find ourselves in places that seem overwhelmingly difficult. If we could step back and take in the overall view of our individual life, we may realize we are only in a small dip on one of the highest peaks.