I’ve spent the last few weeks working on a new more intuitive style and a new show!

My latest pieces are multi-layered expressions of the interconnectivity of all things. In the studio I work quickly between multiple canvases, building organic scenes in a vivid color palette. The paint that left when a painting is complete provide the starting layer for the next painting.

100 years ago there was a young man who listened to his mother and it changed the course of history and women’s lives everywhere. This name was Harry T. Burn. He was from McMinn County, Tennessee where I live.

When I was asked to be the artist representing Mcminn County in the Tennessee County Ornament Project, I felt honored to design a holiday ornament. I did some research about McMinn County and came across the story “Tennessee Statesman Harry T. Burn: Women’s Suffrage, Free Elections and a Life of Service” by Tyler L. Boyd. I knew the story of the letter sent by Burn’s mother encouraging him to vote for women’s right to vote needed to be included on the ornament.

When Harry T. Burn was first called to the Tennessee Special assembly to represent McMinn County he intended to vote against the 19th amendment. However after tabling his vote twice, he voted for women’s suffrage and it was said vote that changed the tie and changed history. It is an inspiring story of how ever vote matters and how a mothers love can help change history. I am happy to have been able to portray such proud history!!

The ornament will be on display in the Governors residence in Nashville during the holidays season beginning after thanksgiving 2020 along with the other 94 counties ornaments.

These days the world is a crazy place! One thing that I am finding helpful in my personal life is to use meditation to calm my anxiety. It is also something that’s shows up in my paintings…

Meditation is a way of using practices such as mindfulness and intentional deep breathing to calm the mind. With all the uncertainty going on these days, sometimes a bit of calm is just what is needed. Namaste.

Wisdom is not information but an abiding presence; an intuitive, sensing opening of the body and heart. In wisdom the body of fear drops away and our heart comes to rest.

-Jack Kornfield

On this rainy day I thought you might enjoy seeing “where all the magic happens”..

Thank you to you all for all the love support! Please be add you email to follow future blogs posts!

Crown shyness is a weird thing that trees do which I recently learned about and that lead to this painting..

Crown shyness is a phenomenon which has been observed in some tree species in which the crowns of fully grown trees don’t touch each other. This phenomenon is most prevalent among trees of the same species.. I wonder is it prevalent among people?

How much is our fear keeping us from reaching out to touch the people next to us, the stranger next to us? I don’t mean necessarily a physical touch, but love.

Are you loving the people around you today?

Don’t give up! Keep in trying! Keep on shining!

I don’t know if anyone else has had a tough week? Here it has been a bit crazy and I’ve barely been in the studio. I wanted to take a minute on this Friday to share this new piece with you and encourage you to keep on keeping on! You are wonderful just the way you are! Keep doing you!!!

To be beautiful means to be yourself.

Thing Nhat Hanh

“There is a river whose streams make glad the City of God, the holy habitation of the most high. God is in the midst of her. She shall not be moved.” Psalm 46:4-5

“The path (to life) isn’t a straight line; it’s a spiral. You continually come back to things that you thought you understood and see deeper and deeper truths.” -Unknown

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“To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.” Psalm 25:1&2

To me this beautiful little piece of sacred text simply means this: I lift up my genuine self, believing that I am beautifully and wonderfully made. Do not let me be afraid to be myself. Do not let my anxiety overcome me.

And it inspired this piece of artwork this week in my studio. I hope that it lifts your soul to know that you are not alone!