without question
long story short has never been my style....for better or worse. certainly not going to start here. "without question" is really quite something. a celebration for my gift of knowing. i've learned to deliberately listen for and trust it over this adult lifetime but the beauty of being a child who felt it as normal is not lost on me for a minute. maybe it's called intuition, instinct, insight....as i live it, divine communication fits best.
there are beautiful stories of me as a young child expressing, validating or confirming things it wouldn't make sense for a child to know. it took me eight seconds to realize but quite some time to understand how unique of a gift this was. i am in no way confused, being an open listener is key, anyone can have it. by the time i would be old enough to question, it was so natural there were never any doubts, i was without question. this is indeed very real, so beautiful and every bit one of my most valuable gifts.
the paper pieces and heart paper are taken from a cancer astrology book. the pages highlight characteristics of people, like myself, born under the astrological sign of cancer.
12" x 12"
acrylic (wet paint/stick/marker), book pages, ink, pearlized watercolor, wire, glass beads, metal keys on a manufacturer gallery stretched canvas.
open essence
the shut down was real. the illusion of control is convincing. farther removed in a healthier heart and head it became safer and safer to untangle knots. confronting self imposed coping strategy that was really more about forgetting...then digging in to process with eyes wide and feelings raw was the only way to get here.
in this case, open essence comes when you work for it. feelings only change when you actively process, everything. safety is a beautiful side effect of choosing, learning, growing and trusting. then comes that amazing way that sometimes life will gift us what was long given up, when we are ready....because we made it, deserve it and move differently now.
in slow safety, relearning yourself from an entirely new perspective, vulnerability still exists but this time it feels almost rewarding - gentle, patient and kind. all the while finally trusting in growth and maturity, equipped to face all that resurfaces with the authority and confidence that would find the old version of you so grateful and proud.
100% crying as I write this. I won.
10" x 10"
oil, acrylic, ink, silver wire, glass beads, various papers and wings on a
2"x 4" hand stretched canvas
place mat series 1 : Love birds
oh the sweetness of this bunch. this comes from one of those beautiful moments you stumble on something you didn't remember you had. the place mat series 1 & 2 are just that, paintings on reed/wood place mats.
i have a thing for birds, all of nature really. on a whim this felt like the perfect subject for these fun mats. all but impossible for me to pick favorites so I stuck with two that we see here year round ...cardinal and blue jay.
the flamingo paired with her babe is a nod to all the moms who lost their colors in sharp focus and effort on their little one/s. then, years later, are starting to see their pigments come back. in addition to being a local bird, the cardinal is, by far, my favorite. it holds great significance in my childhood memories as well as spiritual meaning in connection to those that have passed.
18" x 13"
acrylic on wood/reed placemats
series place mat
placemat series 2 : Dolphiin Shores forever
this is a series in tribute of life, loss and family. there is so much here and it isn't all mine so i'll keep it slim.
the gist of it being ... loss is the worst. however, even though they may appear to be gone they are never far away, not really.
it is my belief that heaven, the "afterlife", finds our loved ones now passed far more present and in proximity than we could ever understand. love is a verb and connection comes in so many different forms and is quite literally surrounding us.
20" x 14"
acrylic on wood/reed place mats
center piece includes a petoskey stone
series place mat
Happiest of Birthdays
the birthday wish, a little midnight sky, a bit of a basket that also catches dreams and -the- most lovely and hopeful cancer new moon of my whole life.
this one is straight out of the heart journal so it's far too personal for the world wide web. little I love more than setting strong, heart centered intentions.
it's certainly not uncommon for me to make art to honor the new moon and focus on intention and priority to work on in her glow. however, this year the new moon in cancer fell directly on my birthday and is followed by some of the most interesting, positive and supportive planet configurations to grace our skies in far too many years to count.
this is a love story, like all the rest, but the hope is world wide and the heart wide open and ready. there is nothing small about this beauty except of course her canvas size. could have easily been titled : only the beginning....that should probably officially be the secondary title.
so now it is.
12" x 12"
acrylic, ink, paper, iridescent fiber, thread, glass beads and paper (cancer astrology book page) manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
soverign Keeper
the mother of bees is the only queen mother i'll ever be. i set an intention years ago that I would someday care for a box or hive. as i worked through life and began to settle more and more into myself as a priority, to really see and value my own goals as important this was a top goal / intention.
about a year and a half ago i stumbled on a pollinator protection group (the bee collective in columbus, Ohio) who hosted a collaborative bee / artist art show. i did not make the show but that was never the intention, was it. what came out of the connection was far more exciting than i could have ever anticipated. i asked all of the questions and the bee keeper was amazingly gracious. by the end of the experience I had two collaborative bee art projects, one personal and another including my whole church congregation. one piece is hanging in the sanctuary of the church while my personal piece is currently in the "around the bend" summer show at he south bend museum of art.
i also had the opportunity, with help from awesome friends, to up cycle a section of church property from landscaping stones, to a pollinator garden including a bee house (which was blessed on easter morning 2025) and we've had so many ba-bees.
i may not yet have my own hive or box but i have most certainly had the opportunity to support my sweet little friends in every other way. the most beautiful part of the whole experience is the way it took a community to make it all happen. team work at it's absolute finest, working together for the much greater whole....nothing more mother bee than that.
10" x 10"
oil, ink, newsprint, handmade paper, iridescent fiber, glass beads, silver wire and wings on a 2" x 4" hand stretched canvas
Now Breathe
breath doesn't always come easy, does it. fast pace is fast and sometimes feelings and process get lost in hyper speed.
i learned long and hard that eye contact and facing forward were imperative to solution....even still some things
are harder to see than others.
now breathe is the understanding that i loose my breath digging holes to hide the very thing i need to confront to breathe. now breathe is the knowing better all along and finally accepting the brave person that you actually are, walking into the fire and floating right back out.
in materials this was so rewarding and every bit as brave as facing the monsters. saying yes to every whim and knowing it had a place, found me overjoyed and confident with every step and stitch of this one. there is always - always - so much symbolism, layer (literal and figurative), deliberate choice and numerical reinforcement.
this could have very well been represented by slaying the fire breather -but -that is before the breath. hot air confined to the most beautiful balloons floating on the horizon, that's about as close to pearl as it gets.
12" x 12"
acrylic, ink, paper, silver wire, waxed thread, glass/wood/plastic beads and paper (cancer astrology book page) manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
Urban Angel
urban angel is so much a celebration of the way stepping up to try eventually finds you doing the hard things. graffiti 'esq intentions set the background in every amazing color. the release of this process was better than i could have imagined and the energy demonstrates that beautifully.
angels are so much my thing. always have been, i'm surrounded and grateful. no way i made it through all these years on my own.
i have worked hard in this art life and conquered origami, an arch nemesis for years. little scared me more. not only learning how to make cool things by folding paper, doing it my way. vellum is a beautiful beast and i won.
my singular angel so beautifully commanding all of our focus in front of the hyper color city wall is adorned in gentle barely there colors, importantly *not white.
ripped edges, iridescent beads and a blue marble to represent her brief human-ish form, perfection has no place here and colors are everywhere and every single one is relevant, perfectly placed and belongs. the peace in chaos and the divinity and purity loud, in color.
urban angel is a grateful nod to my angel team. the strong and gentle presence that is always there and always listening
in guidance, protection and love.
12" x 16"
pearlized acrylic on canvas, vellum origami angel, wire, glass beads and a glass marble on a manufacturer stretched canvas.
stay wild moon child
all the moons all the time. the tides, ebbs, flows, the fluidity and flexibility it takes to be me knee deep in the gritty humanness that would otherwise find me still and suffocating.
a backdrop of intentions reinforced by words in the burnt craters and the always amused man in the moon overseeing it all. with wishing stars strewn throughout the night sky waiting for their turn, stay wild moon child is a testament to the road less traveled, so many detours and the perfect placement of purpose within adventure.
8" x 16"
acrylic (wet/stick), wire, glass beads, paper dictionary pages, resign moon on a manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
mother moon
the active choice of giving up. finding more comfort in control than potential. the zip up as a means to safety with full knowledge - sort of - that illusion of safety also means surrendering peace
and drowning in loneliness.
the figure is drawn on newsprint and the text reading "what to wear on the moon" holds great significance. the color red on the flowered handmade paper (flowers are red - says a lot) and the peace signs on the fragile and chaotic wire, holds such meaning it steals my breath.
red was my life long bully color for a very long time. only recently, maybe the last 10 years or so, have i faced it head on and grown past my challenges with such a dynamic color.
this is far too raw to really dive in to. in many ways i believe i will process this to varying degrees forever. maybe conclusion will come, maybe not.
my signature therapeutic circular brush stroke... paired with my favorite cools, calming purples and blues is a hopeful sign that not all is completely lost, a nod to maybe yes more than maybe no.
10" X 10"
oil, acrylic stick, newsprint, handmade paper, wire, stone peace beads, lace zipper on a a 2"x 4" hand stretched canvas
Toleratus
absolutely devastating. the way the unspoken deteriorates
and fragility creeps in like spiders.
the background has song lyrics written in silver acrylic marker. a song i am in no way prepared to disclose. the web is made with various fibers... metallic silver with sequence and intertwined black/purple.
the flower petals are made with handmade paper ripped and treated with pearlized watercolor. the haunting portrait in the center of the flower is a very old oil pastel drawing dating back decades that was waiting for this exact moment. there are beads stitched in the background of the dark portrait simulating textured wallpaper.
the stems are pearlized watercolor treated sticks and the bud is the same handmade paper as the petals.
the heavy technical explanation is not a cop out. not all stories are for public consumption. the only drawback of processing through art is the balance between privacy and transparency.
36" x 36"
series flowers are red
oil, silver acrylic marker, various fibers, hand made paper, sketch paper, wire, glass beads and wood on a hand stretched 2" x 4" canvas
Bleeding out
this is what deep sadness looks like for this bright side'r. in all my eternal optimism, sadness so often comes and goes in beauty and sparkle...adorned with flowers.
with sorrow and rain comes clarity and cleanliness. this too shall pass is very real even in my depths. 'bleeding out' is the tail end, the lesson is received, understood and beginning to sink in.
there is a lot to be grateful for there.
a late to the party 'flowers are red' piece is a shoe in for all those years of coping with flowers and colors... loving through it all with grace and eventually finding the strength to be honest with myself, seeing what is in front of me for what it really is.
i appreciate that i am an active participant in every experience, accountability falls like rain and opportunity grows from mud. i am grateful for the foresight that allows me to see, even mid-process, that i get to move and decide for myself... which means, inevitably, that the trek may be long, hard and up hill but it will be beautiful and rewarding by the ever after.
16" x 20"
series flowers are red
acrylic, ink, embroidery floss, glass beads and tulle jeweled flower on a manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
Down in the meadow
oh the sweetness of growing up with a loving grandma/s. down in the meadow is a lovely tribute to a song my grandma used to sing to me as a child. i have such fond memories and go back there often. her voice, her energy, love, care and concern all stay with me. you know the saying "your grandmothers prayers are still protecting you" that's 'down in the meadow' knowing she's right there always, still protecting and so proud.
all that's missing is a cardinal bird.
12" x 16"
oil pastel, quilled paper flowers, fiber, and glass beads
on a manufacturer stretched canvas
The promise of undone
i have a deep love of process and am well versed in feeling all the feelings. i've long learned to manage it all quite well over the years and even when avoidant coping mechanisms seep in i am aware and accept that forward facing, one foot over the next is the only way to move.
my love for flowers stems from growth, my great love for life long learning and the way i've learned so hard to keep my ego out of it. i approach this life knowing that despite achievements, accomplishments and accolades there is always so much to learn and most importantly in the breaking or undoing is often when the lessons are most powerful.
here we have stunning blooms rich in color, energy and expansion. paired with the widely recognized symbol of death or decomposition, the skull. it is tiny compared to the bloom, lacks color but is strong and profound none the less.
the leaves are excessive, as growth tends to be. opportunities and offshoots are everywhere during process and we prioritize and choose what and where to focus our attention and energy, all the while the opportunity is everywhere.
the stems are sometimes frail and fragile, barely there thin wire, with moments of reinforcement by the way of stacked glass beads which represent helpers, blessings and supports.
the background is a collage of book pages taken from the book 'the great god pan". the fascinating, perfectly horrible and fictional story of darkness lurking. the story is jarring, the language beautiful. the contradiction suits this piece well. the iridescent floss strewn across the pages is a safety net of sorts keeping the danger and destruction at bay. it is visible and can be felt, the awareness is there but safety is real by the way of trust and faith. the growth is then strong and beautiful growing freely changing into something different than the environment or experience it grew from.
12" x 16"
series flowers are red/wrappin' you up
pearlized watercolor treated book pages, irridescent embroidery floss, hand made paper, wire, glass beads, watercolor paper drip stained with watercolor and stone skull beads on an manufacturer stretched canvas
sentinels
big fan of nature here, huge. catch and release is a serious expectation in my orbit and celebrating the very real benefits and roles of our natural world is not a reach here. to be fair, geography finds me kindly limited in exposure to harmful and dangerous nature. most everything i find sharing my space are non-aggressive nor dangerous,
hand cups are a safe transport.
this is more of just a spider study. i saw beaded spiders on instagram and wanted to try it. I love it, they're beautiful. next time I will choose beads or background colors for stronger contrast but this was a great first try.
the fancy frame is a testament to how I feel about my eight legged friendships. highest regard. they eat those skeeters and build stunning webs, i am a fan....here I am with a big thank you
for always looking out and a beautiful frame.
acrylic (wet/stick), wire, glass beads, iridescent floss on a 8" x 10" manufacturer stretched canvas
always about andi
i grew up in the high time of pop art and andy warhol was one of my all time favs. his work spoke to the way when i love something, i want to celebrate it in every single favorite color!
inspired by andy. this was a nod to one of my favorite people, my dear friend, andi. during the time that our friendship was local we raised kids together and spent beautiful time in the safety of one another being our whole selves. to represent her with beautiful flowers, iridescent yarn and some of my favorite colors was how it was always meant to be.
she lives at a long distance now, equally as important to my love life as she has always been, supportive, kind and the very real gift of joy, humor and love that i wish upon everyone. the world is better
and brighter with her in it.
36" x 36"
series flowers are red/wrappin'' you up
oil, iridescent yarn and jeweled tissue paper flowers
on a 2" x 4" hand stretched canvas
quiet rescue
based off the animated short film "lost and found" which i've since learned originated from a book of the same title by author oliver jeffers.
this is a dear sweet story that i've seen so many times in mom life i can't even count but it could never be enough. the story is fantastic
and the artwork stunning.
so often my own work is inspired by people, experiences and art that i love, this is that. without spoiling a thing, this beautiful octopus is an important albeit small part of the story, one i relate to so gratefully.
i talk a lot -a lot- about my angels, divine guidance, protection and communication. the gifts are real and often transformative as was her role in this adorable and touching animation.
so many times in this life i can recall moments, crisis or challenge...even celebration when i am certain i wasn't alone. i have so often felt presence and love by the way of support in intuition, nudge or chance. so often in fact that i'm certain there are plenty of moments i have no idea...
that the assist has gone completely unnoticed.
i could speak on this for days but for now i'll leave her here. my best try at representing and celebrating the support that comes by way of
the kind and least expected.
30" x 40"
oil, acrylic stick, iridescent floss and metal napkin holders on a manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
Bee-yond now
this is so me. enormously sensitive and "doing something" even if i can't save the day. in my defense bees are totally my thing but that is reaching, i feel strongly about honoring all of life so that this was bees
was just added salt in the wound.
long story short, sort of. at the tail end of spring bumble bees kept flying on to the screened in porch, through a broken door, and not finding their way out. when i found them alive, i was able to gently catch and rescue but more often i found them dead on the floor or still stuck to the screen. it was so strange, sad and happened numerous days in a row. i was beside myself and started to collect them trying to decide
how to make this less awful.
as i was thinking about what heaven may look like for bees i decided to do my best to make sure they made it. yes, those are actual dead bumble bees adhered to the canvas surrounded by honey comb shaped bible pages and a flower coaster altered by me
to simulate all the pollen they could possibly imagine.
some would call this immature, the way i can't put it away, especially knowing they are already dead ... i call it process and effort at a positive on the flip side of a really sad negative. also, i never asked.
rest in happiness and pollen, my sweet friends
12" x 12"
acrylic, bible pages, handmade paper treated with pearlized watercolor, fiber coaster and bumble bees.
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Pink Moon
so much moon art you knew the pink one would be in the mix.
so many intentions all of the time.
family is everything and my love heart is huge and soft. growing up in the age of the brat pack, I remember being devastated when, in 16 candles, "they fucking forgot her birthday" - absolutely devastated. i couldn't 'imagine. of course, devastatingly handsome jake ryan saved the day, melted our love hearts and probably set a really unfair bar for expectations for all of us -but - i still never really got over how her family forgot.
with strong nods to emotional balance and clarity in relationship. harmony, healthy boundaries and a the way the pink moon was a great time to dig deep in reflection of independence and connection...renewal, rebirth, fresh starts, growth opportunities abound. that is so me, all of it.
of course it's all so much bigger than that. the inner work was hasty and serious with this one. i was not prepared, even a little. in effort to test my ego i used a craft paint to push pink in the reflection of me. i wasn't wrong, it was perfect for the purpose... a disaster for my ego.
the piece was a colossal mess - as one might expect from craft paints and a few evening hours. i had committed to posting said mess, for all to see and letting it be there in the wide open representing...me and my art skill. i was sure I could do it...i wasn't totally wrong. it lasted about a day. half the problem being, I loved the art and just couldn't walk past it looking that way, my heart was breaking. the other half...i was legit embarrassed my ego won - "I'm better than that and I need everyone to know" - that is so not me, I'm taken aback - still digging in to that., i'll keep you posted.
so I gave in, went back to it, used the appropriate tools for the job and it kept getting better, i felt better...still conflicted because I couldn't let it go but i can honestly argue that it was the right thing to do.
i added a working locket stuffed with intention that has enormous meaning and fiber bows because i was ready to admit that she was me/mine. ego, eye roll, i know.
this was a great lesson and jump start at deconstructing what it will take to continue the good work of getting that ego in check. such a long process for sure but it all counts as progress.
i love her and i am grateful i now like to look at her and am mostly proud of her now. there is a healing component to this story for sure.
that's for another day.
36" x 36"
oil, pastel, acrylic, fiber, wire, glass beads and a locket necklace on a 2" x 4" hand stretched canvas
Thank God-mother
some girls want to be a princess turned queen. royalty and fancy isn't so much my pace but hopes and dreams very much are. this piece came from a celebration setting intentions for a new moon.
i am, without doubt, my best self in service to others. community is ever important to me, one love is very real and as far as I am concerned...everything on mother earth and what we may someday
find farther out has a place in my heart.
i feel strongly about impacting, protecting and advocating for all that is good and kind and supportive. i believe we are all equal and deserving of opportunity and help... of space to thrive and live peacefully
as our authentic selves.
forget the royal court... i want the power to grant hopes and dreams, the team of forest animals and the power to make life better
for anyone i touch.
the fairy god mother - in pink sparkle and stars, with unruly gray hair and a body that's lived her own beautiful life. that's who I want to be
when i grow up.
12" x 12"
acrylic (wet/stick), glass beads, wire, star charm, fiber, button, metal wand, handmade paper and stone peace beads on a manufacturer gallery stretched canvas.
in this place (all are welcome)
community, inclusion, safety and support. 'in this place' is the canvas work of my dreams that i never knew existed and once i did i never really believed it could be mine....until it was.
all the best things happen for me when i venture out of my comfort zone and this, this was way out there. early in the spring of 2025 i jumped in, both feet, to the wide open social media circus of instagram. it has been a glorious education in everything i find interesting, which is pretty much everything. i so perfectly stumbled on artists collaborating with bees and here we so beautifully are.
these hand made paper quilled flowers spent two and a half months in a honey bee box and came out altered by honeycomb with beautifully chewed edges, accompanied by even more comb that i was able to preserve and transfer to the flowers.
long story short, one of my goals in this life is to care for our natural world in all the ways I touch it and bees, formally. having been a fan and advocate for so long this was a beautiful baby step to the dream come true and as i waded through the experience that was unfolding in front of me - thanks to the grace of kind strangers - i not only learned so much but was able to connect in community and support in a way that planted the perfectly literal seed for local growth in pollinator education, gardening and collaboration. this piece is one part of a larger multi tiered project that found me coordinating the planting of an urban pollinator garden, bee collaborative art with my church congregation as well as "in this place", my personal project. i quite possibly have never been more proud of anything in my art experience.
48"x24"
oil, acrylic, ink, gold wire, glass beads, various hand made papers, natural honeycomb on a manufacturer stretched canvas
inspired by church hymn all are welcome
series beelieve-ing
Garden Songs
you knew it was coming, the gush that flows from one series gently into another so seamlessly you couldn't imagine it any other way. mostly of the latest series 'beelieve-ing' with a glorious and always necessary nod to 'for the love of literature' based on a favorite poem written by elizabeth lawrence. "the hum of the bees is the voice of the garden". there are misty eyes and melting every time.
garden songs is a piece that came about from the excessive excitement that threatened to swallow me whole. this was born in the thick of my summer of bees which so graciously made dreams come true. it is the sweet sister of 'in this place' and came to my rescue as i very much needed somewhere to focus my longing to express as i not so patiently waited for the bees to make their magic on my paper flowers.
origami is a whole other milestone for me. the finality of breaking paper fibers with a permanent crease 12 steps in was too much for my nerves for a very long time. until 'in flight I stand' found me by way of a young friend bea (clearly never a coincidence)and her bestie at a church movie night. awesome and long story for another time.
the bees were folded - perfectly imperfect i am thrilled to add - from pages of a Disney nature book from the 60's, i believe....numbers are hard, grace is forever appreciated.
there is no way to adequately represent this in a photo image. the textures, colors bead work and oh those bees. this far exceeded my need for expression and release of anticipation, i fell completely in love and she changed me forever. what an honor it is to say i brought this to life.
36"x36"
oil, gold wire, glass beads, aged nature book pages, fibers on a hand stretched canvas
inspired by elizabeth lawrence poem
"the hum of the bees is the voice of the garden"
series beelieve-ing (with distinct admiration of) for the love of literature
unconditional
this is knee deep in my most special and valued gift. surprisingly, a new series, it's amazing i've never yet taken it here but the best things come with patience and time...introducing 'unspoken connections'.
unconditional is a representation of my faith experience over all the lifetimes. it celebrates the connection and love that transcends everything and shows up in all the beautiful ways you only notice if you look. it's presence without time constraints and affection beyond physical. it is trust that is unwavering and gifts strength that you never imagine.
unconditional is together if you want to be. it promises we may think we know but have no real idea and gently reinforces that not only are we safe but loved in ways our humanness is not equipped to comprehend.
unconditional was created by my hands but belongs to all. all. all. every single last ingredient of this universal gift of experiences.
in symbolism, unconditional talks to angels. in color, texture and variety it seeks to represent the divine, the eternity, the everything.
unconditional is, right now, my representation of a constant faith and depth of relationship that is so beautifully fluid it evolves, flows, seeps and sustains....ever changing and ever present. it is the impression of my natural-divine connection since birth... before there were words. it reflects the way, in middle life, that there still are not adequate words. it is my best effort, always being just enough. proof that in the midst of the deepest sadness, is the unwavering support i don't need to see to recognize. it is all the love in my heart that isn't actually mine but ours, forever and always. here's for you, my version of amen.
36"x36"
oil, acrylic, gold leaf, hand made paper, book pages, beads on a manufacturer stretched canvas
inspired by zibu symbolism
series unspoken connection
Building Bridges of Faith : The blessings of bees
this. this is so much the perfect representation of how I live this art life. the spill over is so real and the love circle so gracious.
part of the beelieve'ing series this is a glorious and multi faceted collaboration of minds, hearts and hands.
sunnyside presbyterian and building bridges of faith meets backyard bee boxes and urban pollinator support and per the typical, ran with it! this piece was an all church collaboration at every step.
the cross is hand made by a craftsman in the congregation who makes them to gift to visitors. graciously, he agreed to make me one with minimal nails and no stain...raw wood for the safety of the hive. the cross spent two and a half months in the back yard bee box of a family in the church. the youth named blessings, paired them with beads and strung them on wire which i wrapped around the cross to represent the blessings of forgiveness. the congregation spent time considering the most elusive forgiveness in their hearts and named it on the paper strips hanging from the crown. the intention and planting the seed for forgiveness and letting go. i was gifted the task of piecing the elements together. it was glorious.
mean while the building and grounds team awarded us permission to remove a whole section of landscape rock to make room for an urban pollinator garden in direct support of our local pollinators. in turn the pollinators support our vegetable garden which helps to feed our local community through our food pantry.
the pollinator garden is thriving, the cross in hanging in the sanctuary and our hearts and minds are forever altered by this bee experience in the beautiful way the cross was.
hand made paper, vinyl, embroidery floss, hand made paper, vine wreath, natural honey comb, beads, wire
special thanks to the bee collective of columbus, ohio
series beelieve'ing
Luna
oh the healing.
in the beginning there was brokenness brought by violation, crisis, trauma and misplaced shame. the weight was dragged, buried, cyclical and damaging but then came the hardest most worthwhile mountain climb of my young-ish life.
luna is the romance novel of closer to pearl. the one where she was broken, tamed the alpha, turned ass kicking huge heart'ed and intensely protective luna and was exactly what fate required to save the pack. the war was won because she was tough, fearless, determined, selfless... and certainly a little bit of magic.
this is celebration..when the first of all pleasure, opened up to experience kind, gentle and connected...when it got reallllly good. i won't give you much more than that because it's ours but this is the great unlearning that lead to all but impossible healing that found me exactly where I was meant to be when all the hardest work was done.
the cloud work in technicality is actually as beautiful as it looks. the jeweled accent stars are perfectly subtle and the treatment of the claw marks....well, there's that and we'll just leave you with the visual observation.
there is noth-ing vanilla about luna and I couldn't be more grateful for that. i became a whole person one day and this is that.... not royalty but gritty, heart centered, unwavering commitment and leadership - so much hard worked dirt under my finger nails. nothing has ever felt better or, gratefully, been the same.
36"x36"
oil, acrylic, gold metallic embroidery thread, beads, sequence, lace, clasps, straps and ties on an un-stretched stretched canvas
inspired by hard life
series for the love of literature
spirit of Assisi
i have so many challenges with organized religion and zero with faith. I have a great deal of respect and honor to dote upon positive influences in religions, art and culture.
this is an interesting one that came about this summer also during my impatience waiting for the bees. with strong relationship and love nods to 'flowers are red', 'for the love of literature' and 'unspoken connection', assisi is quite literally everything i needed at the time before i knew it....which is absolutely how i roll.
that one day i was looking for something and found everything all at once in the form of a very old book that belonged to my mom in her catholic school years. a book of saints, an education, introduction turned celebration. saint francis of assisi patron saint of animals and ecology.
a few months earlier, *on mothers day, while my dear friend and minister, accompanied by our church congregation, blessed the bee house (artfully hand made by the bee collective in columbus, ohio) that we were placing in our recently planted pollinator garden. saint assisi was referenced in her prayer.
it came as zero surprise when i stumbled across him again, in the form of a book - of my moms - such a short time later. just then, it was only ever going to be an art piece. so it is.
with quilled flowers from the book pages (that only included male saints in educational content but was adorned with a female on the cover) the small supporting flowers were made from saint francis of assisi page and the focal flower, of course, celebrated the nameless and undoubtedly historically important female on the front.
10"x10"
oil, aged paper book pages, beads, twig, fiber, waxed book binding string, metal embellishment ties on a hand stretched canvas
inspired by
flowers are red . for the love of literature . unspoken connections
series beelieve'ing
Don't Bother they're here
the circus and the clowns. america will get back to beautiful but until then, if you don't have anything nice to say default to material details...in reality the subject matter doesn't deserve to grace my website but the art, oh the expression that will always belong here.
32"x40"
oil, acrylic, wire, glass beads, fiber ribbon on a manufacturer stretched canvas
lone ranger i am hoping - so hard - this will never make a series
Broken Truth : ArtPrize 2025
brokenness, the unraveling...finding connection and understanding in the midst of it. wrestling all that is happening in this “united” space, trying to make sense of it and failing miserably because there isn’t any that resembles it inside of my heart place. so then, looking for raw forgiveness which quite possibly has never been so hard.
based on life, right now, and douglas woods’ book “old turtle and the broken truth”... if you know it, you’ll feel the parallels right away.
in a quick snapshot, 'broken truth' is the grime & muck of selfishness, distrust, deceit behind the foreground of one little girl's braver search for the wisdom found in a very old friend. it’s the journey far and long to understanding the real, whole truth.
in the beginning you are loved. it’s written on the wall…under filth and temporary half truth. lies drip away with the experience and effort to learn and uncover the other half of the whole. as douglas tells the story so beautifully *spoiler alert* you are loved….and so are they.
celebrated are the old turtle on the divine path and a little girl who breaks all free through her brave quest to find the missing piece through her connection and trust in an old friend. as the fog lifts the people hear her, the pieces become visible, and the peace rises to the surface so clear, clean and beautiful. it’s almost like it’s been there all along.
this is my hope on canvas. this is my prayer...may i find my way to grace so clear that despite all that i’ve seen and the depth of wounds, i can heal with it. 'broken truth' is my version of forgiveness at its spark.
broken truth
series for the love of literature
32"x40"
oil, paper, pastel, faux leather, and oil, acrylic, paper, tulle faux pearls, pearlized inlay, metal and jeweled broach
inspired by the song of isiah my moms favorite church hymn/douglas wood's old turtle and the broken truth
ARTPRIZE #77719
so far but yet so near
whew! this one is a lot, a lot....it's beautiful but it's whole-heart-heavy first and foremost. but then, as all the most impactful steep processes go, it feels inspired, hopeful and connected...then came the healing, more and more each day (every fly by), by the 'there's no such thing as the real end'.
it's loss so jarring, so deep and so tragic, loss at it's devastating worst. it's the brightest of joy in a love-life glittered with all the best memories through all of the shared wonder years. it's love strings so strong they bust and break and then go on to mend in knots, on and on and on, stronger by every strand. it's roots so deep they permeate and secure all that is this life and all that comes after.
it's support for confusion, illness, sadness, trauma, then comfort, growth and perseverance. it's an "all in" celebration of life, love, humor, tenacity, and unwavering loyalty. it's appreciating, collecting and cherishing every.single.thing we hold dear and the vision - so clear, no moments, signs or connection is missed.
mostly, though, at it's hard fought happy, even when it's sad, ending...it's validation and "the knowing" that no matter how it all went, what the world and it's convictions will have you believe and what your own confused and broken heart tries to tell you on the darkest of all days, the promise and the truth is real.....yes, "they're so far but yet so near."
a tribute to one life i carry in my love heart forever. inspired by experience, love, and the influence of two masters of their own craft. thank you, jimmy buffet for being the perfect soundtrack for this party life and yann martel for speaking to the hard end like i never could. cheers to the mash up that is this, with love, my muse, jimmy's song and yann's poetry together in process and story.
in gratitude for all that was and will forever be, forever and ever. amen.
"even when god seemed to have abandoned me, he was watching. even when he seemed indifferent to my suffering, he was watching. and when i was beyond all hope of saving, he gave me rest. then he gave me a sign to continue my journey" yann martel
43"x25"
oil, acrylic, gold floss, beads, cotton blend, tulle with sequence
on a hand stretched canvas
inspired by jimmy buffet one particular harbor/yann martel life of pi
ARTPRIZE #80766
the ones who circle round : ARTPRIZE 2023
this one is interesting in so-many-ways. nothing i do ever fits very neatly in a box. no surprise there. i typically come spilling out everywhere, i’m proud for that. but this one not only can’t be boxed into a series, it’s got a big toe in two! a bridge between my “life songs” and “for the love of literature” series’ “the ones who circle round” is so perfectly both. with a level of depth in meaning, celebration and materials that surprises even me it was so much a hard fought love-love experience. technically, this piece was a bigger challenge than i have faced in a while. it was a lofty goal and i nailed it! rarely do things shake out as i expect them to at the sweet and naive beginning but this love story is one hundred percent true to it’s muse inspired origins. a brilliant combination of celebration for the book “the boy, the mole, the fox, and the horse”, the song “we shall be known” by mamuse and my dearest ones. it is layered in the kind of challenge, lesson, success and validation made possible only by the closest and strongest relationships. it’s a love letter to my village, far and near, near and far…it’s one and the same. i carry and honor them in my heart, always, and this is the promise that we are forever in this together. “we shall be known by the company we keep by the ones who circle round to tend these fires.”
30"x40"
oil, acrylic, ink, paper, beads, floss and wood
on a manufacturer stretched canvas
inspired by charlie mackesy the boy the mole the fox and the horse/ mamuse we shall be known
So much more
"i don't have to pretend she doesn't expect it from me...."
oooooooh this is a tough one - even in my bad ass present person - tough to put to words. to admit. it's the product of the colossal and exhausting mega effort of masking. years and years and years of masking. "so much more" has been viewable on this site, with a promise to eventually tell the story, for well over a year. all the while, it sat. my knowing damn well the longer i let it linger the bigger the mountain grew, the intimidation haunted....even a lifetime removed from the experiences it represents, stronger than i've ever been.
this was a plea turned celebration, to myself, that life time later. i pushed color on it for the first time so so many years ago, submerged in the ugly, the sadness, the constant crisis, protecting the mess, frantically patching the crushed and crumbling facade. it sat for quite some time in resentment and my fear of acceptance, clouding my muse. but not anymore...so far from that life, so hard worked, a completely different person, i prepared myself to face it, own it, finish, write it. so long after "it" was over. so here we are.
"so much more" is born of a soundtrack that was fundamentally therapeutic and life saving at a time when i needed every single grace and life line to cling, so desperately clawing my way out of impossible.
in essence, she is the trophy even if proof that life haunts. hard has residuals and teaches long after you've already committed to the faith in your win, done the work and the healing. hard resurfaces and impacts and requires honesty and remembering and and trusting and leaning.
the color pallet, the reflective typography, written lyrics, the perfectly gaudy metallic jeweled trim and the soft, gentle, deep and dark iridescent fiber and beads outlining the container, the spirit, the person -me- so deeply impacted by experience and so committed, then, to masking the truth and stifling my honest-inside voice. it's all the evidence that i was in there all along. it's the truth, i deserved so much more than this....and i knew then as much as i do now, which found me here. so much more is the prayer to my younger self "don't tell me why, why is simply not good enough". then it was the celebration of the confidence to put it into practice.
forward focused, practicing self-forgiveness and putting it all away again, for now, feels so good. knowing damn well I am so much more than good enough....every single time it sneaks back up to the surface.
"so much more"
24"x30"
oil, acrylic mirror, cotton fiber strand, beads, plastic & fiber strand
on a manufacturer stretched canvas
sound track sarah mclachlan good enough
in flight i stand : ARTPRIZE 2022
part of the series for the love of literature in flight i stand is an autobiography. it has been brewing for many long years and has come to be in it’s most perfect timing…as all things given space to grow into themselves do. there are over two decades of strong development represented here and too many personal layers to count. at the core, it is all about the greatness of good, versus, not-so-good and the freedom and will it took to find it. in flight i stand is a tribute to the mountain climb that, in the end, gave me to myself. it celebrates the permission and the confidence that finds one in self love and the hard fought battle it took to get there.
in technical focus, it is so perfectly and predictably me, pushing oil on a (hand stretched and prepped) 2x4 canvas. the flowers, made from recycled copper-coated scrap metal and wire, a nod with great respect and significance, to hard life long lived. the stems are cuts of jute, faux leather strap and strand.
the butterfly papers are actual page/s from one of my favorite novels “the stand” written by stephen king. each butterfly is made from a specific page, a page that highlights a favorite quote. each page/butterfly was stained with watercolor and ripped to size. the choice to use origami to create the butterflies was inspired by a friend, origami artist bea, and were a deliberate confrontation as they represent a historic challenge of their own. gratefully, in this happy ending, they are also a beautiful success. they alone were a demonstration of how far i’ve come, a testimonial to considerable growth within a venerable working space.
as my working process always goes, in flight i stand, was beautifully healing and a wonderful act of acceptance and celebration. it is rich in material, depth and texture in both lovely and hard emotional content and the physical material processes. it is strong but soft and firm but forgiving. it is every bit as full of grace in a spirited story as it is in it's visual softness.
art is an emotional experience for me, to say the least. this piece, in particular, demonstrates and speaks of the many layers of experience and reflection, the many stages and steps that found me safely in a good place. an epic journey pretty much sums it up….well that, and a “happily ever after”. i hope it is every bit as good to you as it has been to me.
24"x24"
oil, paper, watercolor, faux leather, jute and recycled metal
on a 2x4 hand stretched canvas
inspired by steven kings the stand
ka-tet : ARTPRIZE 2021
ka-tet was part of the artprize 2021 competition in grand rapids, michigan.
part of a series for the love of literature, "ka-tet" has been such a long time coming. based on one of my favorite literary journeys, "the dark tower series" written by stephen king, this piece is so personally and beautifully layered.
"ka-tet " was born out of the impossible loss of my mother, not due to covid but at the height of the covid pandemic. "ka-tet" unfolded beautifully in support of processing her rapidly declining health, especially when she was just a simple mile up the road, but still, a world away. the energy of this piece is strong and hard and loving and grateful and everlasting and gracious.
the tower is built from pages taken from my much loved, marked up and noted paper back copy of the "waste lands", book 3 of the series. the pages are stained with water color, graffitied in ink (by my 8 year old son) with favorite quotes from the literary masterpiece. the tower was then adhered and knotted to the canvas with faux leather holster straps. more favorite quotes are highlighted at different levels of the tower. the beloved and ever important rose is quilled using paper strips made from pages of the "waste lands", treated with oil pastel, then adhered and stitched to the canvas. the stem, a sanded stick, is also tied to the canvas.
ka-tet
series for the love of literature
24x48"
oil, paper, pastel, faux leather, and wood
manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
inspired by steven king dark tower series
better than ever
from a new series titled love strings, "better than ever" is everything it promises. the energy is sweet but oh so strong. there are layers upon layers to the art and story, as all the best and hardest honesty goes. the guitar string butterfly, celebrating her long evolution, has finally made her way to a self-confident, hard fought freedom of flight....finally in full acceptance that still, there is no clear picture of what comes next.
a great love for long roads and callused fingers calls to me to only use tired and worn song strings for this series because that hard played and experience charged energy makes for a beautiful evolution and generous exchange. something always turns into something that always turns into something else.... especially, when the vision is right. this whole series is a celebration of that glorious and never ending up-cycle.
this piece celebrates the colorful conversations that wonder "where have you been"? as much as the validation in the statement "we're so glad you're here"! and the equally frightening and rewarding pry into "so what's next"? all at the same party, sometimes all in the same breath. it's a love of life at every stage, not just the few media worthy moments the world wants to acknowledge.
better than ever is a commitment to the long haul, the non-abridged version of you and all it took to grow you. giant leaps and baby steps, better than ever is every single move forward and back. it's an expectation of the life long responsibility to ourselves to stop and smell each flower... because they all matter. it says "i want to get to know you. all the parts of you because you are interesting and valuable, well worth the effort". above anything else it sees the adorable and contagious hope in the beginning, middle and straight through to the never-ever-ends!
better than ever
series love strings
12x24"
acrylic & guitar strings
manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
you knew
oh it's deep and rooted and wise. a faithful tribute to the book the alchemist, "you knew" is born to the series for the love of literature. a glance into the great and beautiful impact literature has on it's inspired reader.
bits and pieces of the treasured wisdom plucked from my marked up, notes in the margins, pages carefully saved and replanted into the midst of the color and chaos of my muse. it is an intense in color and texture celebration of truth and is, at it's core, all the hope and honesty that, when we dig deep enough, is found neatly tucked within ourselves. "you knew" is an affirmation of all the lessons of life that live within us, our ever important intuition and the promise that our next times are so much better for honoring them.
you knew
series for the love of literature
24x48"
oil, acrylic, ink, paper & floss
manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
inspired by paulo coelho the alchemist
your harbor
the strongest of all love bonds and songs, literally, wrapped up in one simple and elegant expression. this is my heart sort of the very real challenge between the illusion of control and the need for balance. an internal struggle, which has found me in my most important and very best of all life rolls, parenthood. the conflict between protection and debilitating support, the ever growing showdown between connectedness and independence. walking the fine line with the beauty of best intentions.
"your harbor" found that sweet spot, the balance in the hope on the horizon and the fear of the storm. it is the gratitude in knowing that both await and the hard work and love has been growing the strength it takes to withstand and knowledge of when to retreat. the calm in trusting you've done your best and so will they.
based on the song harbor by vienna teng this dear sweet one is a heartfelt tribute to a parents great love, struggle and always evolving support. it's the gentle kindness that affirms something so simple, bright, and ever present in the comfort of a promise guiding you home.
your harbor
series life songs
24x24"
oil, acrylic, ink & fiber on canvas
hand stretched canvas
sountrack vienna teng harbor
what's wrong
here it is, the hope in the moment that finds you deflated, exhausted and scratching your head.
"what's wrong" is dedicated support for the deep feelers, the healers, the wonder-ers and the worriers. it acknowledges the balance is totally off, the energy volitile but all the while it's wise in knowing that there is something bigger and there are two side to every coin.
"what's wrong" knows something is sideways. it tirelessly works to identify the problem but stays focused on the solution. it is confident in it's inclusion, empathy, comfort, connection, efforts and mostly, love.
this was a piece in waiting, as many of them begin. long waiting, like years. the background was pushed, admired, loved and then it sat...waiting for the story to unfold. it had a preliminary title, as many do. it's hard enough to sit idle but completely unfair to wait with no identity, no name. "through the library window" was her title for many years. a geometric collection of a cool, calm energy and pallet. organized, energetic and inviting. there always seems to be a beautiful and fundamental "knowing" even when they don't find finish right away.
then, one day, I needed her and there she was. prepared for her purpose. i dug her out of the wait and began to put her together. in friendship and nature, expression and release, the sweetness deliberately doesn't quite capture the edge of the song verses...no, she was always a channel for the subtle and angelic sound of fergie in the chorus. the high notes. "when they go low....we go high".
education, investigation, collaboration are steadfast and clear pathways to solution. when "through the library window" evolved into "what's wrong" i was touched by the way she already knew, the way she stepped up to answer the challenge but sat in patience so long as i sorted through it myself. "if you tech a man to fish..."
education, truth, seeing and feeling the wisdom in your best wide openness...that growth leads to solution. the answer to the epic question "what's wrong" and it's countless solutions will be found in friendship (yellow rose flower) looking through the library window, through our wise eyes, together. appropriately, we start the mountain climb actually seeing and acknowledging everything painful and hard that is happening around us and asking ourselves "what's wrong with the world, mama"?
what's wrong
series life songs
24x24"
oil, ink, paper & twine
hand stretched canvas
soundtrack black eyed peas where is the love?
fools like me
oh, love strings, no way i can create a series by that title and not include my favorite (love)song bird, lisa loeb." fools like me" is a "thank you very much" for lisa's song of the same title. this one is way too personal for the world wide web, for sure. this kind of share really comes over coffee but i'll give it a vanilla go...
i have lived my whole love life, in heart search of the one that i always knew, he was the heart hope i always carried. i could totally feel him out there...somewhere. i knew him so well but he was no one i had ever met, i knew that too. for better or worse, i have way about taking the long, hard road. life always allowed me that weighted opportunity to learn a thing or two.
long story short, we were connected long before we connected, all tangled up in the heap. it was only a matter of finding my way to myself, through the crowded, heavy and knotted mess...then allowing myself to become available to my beautiful and honest truth.
you know how they always say "the miracle was about to happen when you gave up", well, that is this. my version of "fools like me" is a testament to that truth. i found myself so dangerously close to hands in the air but my heart always knew better, "love was surely made for fools like me". and did it ever finally work out in the happiest of all endings, because then there was adam. "the sweetest kind of dream"...come true.
fools like me
series love strings
24x36"
oil, acrylic & guitar strings
manufacturer stretched gallery canvas
soundtrack lisa loeb fools like me
let me be your ladder
oh the awkwardness of good growth and the very real beauty in the hard reality that - you have to start somewhere. i, not so secretly, love it. the awkward everything. i learned long and hard to appreciate and love the very healthy growth waiting outside of my comfort zone. a tiny bud in the great expanse. it feels just like this looks, not quite right...because it isn't.
the music playing in the background of this piece is so awesomely and appropriately widespread panic's version of climb to safety. the subtle, littered with thorns, really tall and really narrow ladder of the stem...is so much what it feels like....at an impossibly hard beginning. just about halfway, after the sweet honeymoon, after you've fought off the mid way urge to quit, grace comes by the way of proof of growth among the sharpest thorns. then, just as you hit your safety, ready to bloom into the love and support that surrounds you, the uncomfortable truth of the beginning of belonging, the attention, right there front and center of it all, leaves you feeling so small you'll never possibly fit. except, you will.
she's finished but unfinished...so there is a sister. climb to safety is 'to be continued', there is another version on the easel as i type because.....you may not feel like you fit now but you do and oh is that growth glorious... and different... and it totally deserves a whole nother song. probably a whole lot different and a little bit the same, as sibling life sometimes goes.
let me be your ladder
series life songs
24x24"
oil, ink, paper & fiber
hand stretched canvas
soundtrack widespread panic climb to safety
inch by inch
cheers to the systematic approach. hands dirty, "get to work", appreciate the plan, the steps and show yourself you absolutely can and will. it's my dad's go to "you ain't gonna learn any younger". the follow through that always seems so huge, and completely out of reach, until you pull it apart and tackle the pieces. "inch by inch" is my gratitude in all it's magnificence, all the best learning i've ever done...well.
"inch by inch" is layered and cultivated with primitive sensibility, intrinsic knowledge, expression, technicality and collaboration. oh how i love a good trio. it's guarded, boxed, protected because there's always the hungry opportunist waiting to pounce and snatch. that gifted awareness.
"inch by inch" is a push for the procrastinator. it's a promise that if you take that first step, the second comes easier. it's chaos in the overwhelmed beginning, honed in and organized, until it all lines up in neat little rows by the bountiful and glorious end. it's an acceptance of the beauty of organic imperfection that evolves into appreciation and love for the unique, rough edges.
"inch by inch" is a life long lesson for me. it's my great affection for everything hard that has helped me find my soft. the clean, symmetrical, balanced energy is a prayer and "inch by inch, row by row" i come a little bit closer with every try.
inch by inch
series life songs
18x24"
acrylic, paper, muslin, cotton fabric & fiber
manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
soundtrack peter, paul & mary garden song
living river
another from the series life songs. living river is "soooo deep, soooo wide".
peter gabriel was an instant favorite for me oh so so so many years ago. i could push a whole series dedicated to him and all that his words have supported me through. he is so poetic and speaks straight to my muse. when i hit play i'm flooded with process and if i'm studio working, release. "the washing of the water makes it all alright", indeed. to work a piece based on my experience and love for this song has been building momentum for quite some . "living river" art work by me lovingly based completely off the work and words from "washing of the water".
this is a sister piece to another in the same series titled "i can hear your voice". two very different soundtracks one very personal process and loss.
i have a great love (obsession is totally accurate) for text and paper. i am visual and like to see the words, run my fingers over the verses, give them all my focus and attention as i take in the wisdom and energy of the music and story, as it feeds my muse.
living river is big and bold, every bit as intense as the feelings that move through us in grief and love, accompanied by the fragility of the after life calm it carries. this is so perfectly represented here, in the treatment of the lyrics, words, the poem, the love and loss, the healing and every touching element that is expressed in this song.
living river
series life songs
24x24"
oil, fiber, ink & paper
hand stretched canvas
soundtrack peter gabriel washing of the water
i can hear your voice
part of the deep dive of a series, life songs , "i can hear your voice" is a perfectly literal nod to the dead fan favorite "ripple" and a distant sister to another piece in the series, "living river". there is a beautiful and touching story here, the eternal bond and the kindest of all validations through loss and connections....between mother and daughter and mother and son.
one of my many most valued gifts in this life has been my awareness and certainty in my connection to the universe, the gift of all of life and god. humanness, as one of many life experiences, is something i was born understanding as a period within a greater experience. there are stories of me reflecting on and referencing this connection at a very young age and it's something that i have, gratefully, always carried with me and felt on a very deep and profound level. i am very much an "old soul" but the love connection i have with this life is far bigger much deeper than that.
ripple, an all time favorite song of so many, speaks directly to this awareness for me. this life experience, and this piece in particular is a demonstration of my gratitude for all of it. every single layer. the times of question, confusion, validation, comfort and growth. i could go on forever but this is better served as a fireside chat than a website blurb. so i'll leave it with honest enthusiasm and a promise that "yes, i will hear your voice come through the music and i'll hold it near as if it were my own".
i can hear your voice
series life songs
24x24"
oil, ink, paper, floss & fiber
hand stretched canvas
sound track grateful dead ripple
always invited
an important part of the series for the love of literature , "always invited" is a tribute to the introduction, or rather, invitation into one of my favorite books of all time "where the sidewalk ends". this piece is full of love nods and depth of story.
this half painted canvas sat in waiting for quite some time, as many of them do. they often come in pieces and waves. the call to completion, for this in particular, was so loud and clear when it came. there was almost an urgency to it, like being late to an event. the end came as a need, the raw intrinsic drive to -finish what i started - was pretty intense for such sweetness. the yang. in honesty, there was a moment of cop out...before i accepted that i need a little help to get where i want to be. my partner in creative crime, my ever talented 9 year old son, lent me his writing hand and, as always, was my perfect grand finale that find me finished and totally satisfied in glorious team work.
there was a very physical feeling, a simultaneous release and charge that came with pushing the pins on this one. the affirmation that i'm done, i did it, we did it. i waited and waited and recognized and only then did we find ourselves here...where all is as it is meant to be. the listening and the action, in great harmony, in team, makes beautiful things and i do that....with the help of my love life and friends. the dreamers, wishers, liars, hope'rs, prayers, magic-bean-buyers, all the valued pretenders that sit by my fire....are always invited to spin.
always invited
24x30"
series for the love of literature
acrylic, ink, paper, colored pencil & an antique broach
manufacturer gallery stretched canvas
inspired by shel silverstein where the sidewalk ends