I have always been chasing something.

Straight As. The perfect job. The perfect life.

It wasn’t until I started painting (on a whim, in college) that my fear of failure began to chip away. What struck me was the metaphor of being able to wipe away any stray brushstroke.

I couldn’t mess up. Or if I did, I could just start over.

Painting showed me the freedom of knowing that nothing is permanent—but you have to at least try and make some marks if you want to create anything worthwhile. Otherwise, all you’re left with is just fear and a blank, empty canvas.

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Like painting, hiking also found me in college on a spur-of-the-moment backpacking trip after a painful breakup. Paved trails aside, I had never really hiked in the wilderness, and now I was in a wilderness of the soul.

Wandering the forest and exhausting my body while noticing the beauty around me reminded me of my own resilience and power. I still retreat to the mountains today any time I’m feeling shaken or in need of repair.

When I graduated college, art fell by the wayside, but I very quickly started to miss it. So I started painting again after a short break and a difficult year, and what poured out of me—without direction or assignment—was bold, abstract paintings inspired by the respite and freedom I find outdoors.

My art degree taught me how to render a landscape; my life since then has shown me how to channel the landscape into art’s restorative and emboldening power.

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My paintings are about daring to be wholly, unabashedly, authentically you.

Unlike the guarded, perfect, emotionless facade I hid behind for so many years, my paintings are raw, authentic expression. Their moody, free, abstract layers reveal the deepest parts of me—a rebellion against years of tight control.

I feel most alive and myself while hiking in the woods and up mountains, so my paintings draw inspiration from nature-inspired colors and compositions reminiscent of light shining through tree leaves.

My process is highly color-based and intuitive. I’m constantly reminiscing about feelings, images, and lessons I’ve gleaned from the trail, and I channel these while mixing colors and building layers in the studio. I explore and allow my brushes and colors to flow like I hope you move through life—boldly, calmly, freely.

Like hiking, abstract painting challenges me to see what I’m capable of. Both remind me that all worthy endeavors require putting one foot in front of the other, and they inspire me to be like the trees and the flowers in the forest—standing tall, proud of your expression, not worrying about how you compare to those next to you.

I hope my paintings inspire you to let go a little and remind you that you were born stand out. I hope they remind you how capable you are, and I hope they embolden you like the wind in your hair.

~

Interested in becoming a collector? The best way to connect with me and get first access to new artwork is to join my email newsletter. I release new artwork there first (usually seasonally), and it’s full of inspiration and deeper stories which I share monthly. Or see available paintings here.

Thank you, truly, for your interest in my artwork, and I hope to see my paintings in your home soon!