Evolve Series
January / February 2023
Released on my 29th birthday, 2/14/23, this series is inspired by positive and negative emotions surrounding the passing of time, growing older, and what it means to truly evolve into one’s best self. New Year and birthdays, (which have always occurred close together for me), always kick up themes of reflection, growth, goals, affirmations, and transitions, which are explored aesthetically throughout the collection, including with the use of new materials such as glass and light.
Please click or swipe on the thumbnail to see more images of each piece!
"There’s a reason you just said “who’s the fairest of them all?”. That cliche line represents a very true phenomenon: we often look in the mirror for answers. Who am I? What am I supposed to do with my life? When are things going to get better? Why is this so hard? We often look in and see ourselves as we are, right now. But I wish it were easier to look in and see all the individual moments that make up the sum total of who you are, and the progress you’ve made that will inform your future. Let’s stop judging ourselves so hard for where we are. Let’s celebrate the abundance of how much we’ve already done, and how much we will do, soon."
Mirror, Mirror SOLD
48x24in Acrylic and 3D mixed media on panel
February 2023
" As an ambitious woman who chases big dreams, I’ve experienced my fair share of rejection, disrespect, coldness, and belittlement. At times, I feel surrounded by it and it can be all consuming. But honestly, it’s all part of the game. People will underestimate you, and if you’re not getting rejected you’re not trying hard enough. The key, I’ve found, is to remember that nothing can dim my inner glow without my permission. And in fact, most of the time the shade actually makes it shine brighter. "
Inner Glow SOLD
48x12in oil on panel
February 2023
"If you’re anything like me, every new year you come up with a fresh new laundry list of goals, resolutions, things to change, and things to add to your life. And that’s fine. But it adds a lot of pressure. And what’s more, unless your habits, beliefs, and emotions are aligned in a way that makes those goals achievable, the pressure will mount into a burden. So, maybe instead of making resolutions right away, we should focus on alignment at the turn of the new year."
Alignment SOLD
84x12in oil an vinyl on panel (Four 12x12in panels and three 10x10in panels spaced 1in apart)
January 2023
Illuminate SOLD
"Through Dumbledor, JK Rowling said it best: “happiness can be found in even the darkest of places, if only one remembers to turn on the light.” Most of my work is about using color as a bright spot to drown out darkness. This time, for the first time, I used literal light both to enhance the experience of the color, as well as to function as a halo when the darkness of night takes the color out of vision. The halo is proof that, although I can’t see it right now, the color is still very much there, and will be visible when the sun comes up. So, not to worry. Growing older comes with its dark moments. We lose everything from youthful innocence to real people who shaped us as beings. But do we really lose them, or do we just need to remember to illuminate the bits and pieces of them that are very much there, and left within us?"
96x17.5in Oil and LED on panel
January 2023
Transient
48x36in oil and acrylic on panel
January 2023
"One of the hard truths of growing up is realizing that nothing, (absolutely nothing), lasts forever. And even harder, we never get to know how long we have with each person, place, idea, style, thing, whatever it is, before it's gone. This piece, for example, showed me that my process had outgrown the technique behind the style I started with. I was forced to pivot to another process about a quarter of the way through that served my interests and needs a lot better. In other words, I had to do another thing we all struggle with: I had to let go."
Self L.O.V.E. SOLD
24x24in oil, acrylic, and mirror on panel
February 2023
"The longest relationship you’ll have in this life is with yourself. And yet self love can be a steep learning curve for a lot of us. I think it starts with a shift in focus. Usually we spend all day focusing on everything else, and #1 gets put on the back burner. In this piece, you get the reverse. Everything is blurry, except your beautiful self."
"Recently I found a tiny river off the beaten path of a nature walk, and sat by its side for a while. The rocks both directed the course, as well as interrupted the black depths with glints of magical sparkle. The rest of the world stopped for a minute as I listened to the lullaby of a thing that knew everything and nothing about where it was going. I think our years are like rocks in a river. They might direct our course for the time being but we have no idea where it will lead us next."
River SOLD
48x12in Oil and Glass on panel
January 2023
Divergence
48x36in oil and acrylic on panel
January 2023
"Part of bravely becoming your best self is meeting yourself where you’re at. If something that used to work for you doesn’t sit right anymore, you have to diverge from it and explore something that honors your status quo. In other words, sometimes it is broke, and you have to fix it. "
(clockwise from top):Upcycled SOLD, That's Extra, & Not Forgotten
"What do we do with old stuff? Stuff that’s 'no longer relevant' from past lives, old relationships, past apartments, early ideas, retired beliefs, old feelings, etc. Do we forget about them? Toss them? Or do they have fascinating histories that represent our choices, our touch, our movements, our thought patterns? I’m not advocating for hoarding, I’m just saying: stuff from our past isn't worthless junk. It carries memories, and histories, and provides proof of a process that led you to where you are today."
12x12in acrylic and oil scrap on panel
January 2023
Wabi-sabi
"I’ve spent far too much of my life chasing perfection. A lot of my work represents this, and I know that. Sometimes it's nice to feel like I can control something, but I’m exhausted. I told myself I would accept more beauty in imperfection in 2023, which aligns closely with the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. This piece is the most wabi-sabi thing I think I’ve ever made, but it didn’t start that way. I originally designed it to cover up a dent in the surface. But as I went more unfixable errors kept happening. Instead of giving up on it, I hand placed 964 glass crystals until it was done. Imperfect, but done. I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell myself I am growing out of my perfectionism unless I did."
18x24in Acrylic and glass on panel
February 2023
Embrace SOLD
48x12in oil on panel
February 2023
"As we grow older we go through a lot of transitions, which are tough for me. Being selective about my surroundings and setting intentional boundaries helps a lot. But I’m willing to bet that whatever your transition is, the best thing to give yourself is the warm embrace of grace and self love throughout the process."
Beautifully Broken SOLD
"Life will give you plenty of lemons. Some will just be sour for a while, and some will cripple you with everlasting grief. Here’s the thing about a shattered heart though. It allows you to let light in and out in more ways than you thought possible. Others who’ve loved and lost as well will see themselves in you, and you them. There is resilience in togetherness. And the truth is, we are all a little broken. "
48x24 Oil and glass on panel
February 2023
Luna
92x5.5in Oil, LED, and 3D mixed media on panel
February 2023
"On birthdays it’s typical to reflect on another “trip around the sun” and celebrate the beginning of a new one. As a night owl, I do some of my best thinking, writing, and creating by the light of the moon. Not only that, she is a powerful and reliable teacher in patience, braving phases, and trusting in the cyclical nature of things. Today, 2/14/23, I’m looking forward to my 29th year of lunar lessons."
Evolution
"2/14/23. It’s been three years, nearly to the day, since I opened the doors to my first professional art studio. To say I’ve evolved personally and professionally since then is an understatement. And in my loved ones’ eyes, it might seem like I changed very much very fast. But true evolution is slow, gradual, and persistent, made up of repeated habits, small steps, commitment, and trust in the process. Much like each gradient in this piece. Sometimes I get frustrated at the slowness, but realizing I’m slowly building the best version of myself makes me very excited for the future at the same time."