Unapologetic Collection
November 14, 2021
I was having a conversation with some friends recently about a story that is deeply embedded in my psyche—that nothing I do is ever enough.
Of course, I know this isn’t true. There have been countless times when I’ve gotten exactly what I wanted or that I’ve achieved something big despite the cards being stacked against me.
But the thing about these deeply held beliefs is they don’t just disappear overnight. The longer you’ve believed them, the more time they take to re-write. And this feeling of “not enough” has been with me for quite some time.
Here’s what my friends said: What is enough? Like what is the literal, technical definition? It seems like such an obvious question, but it’s one I hadn’t thought to ask before.
Technically, “enough” means “sufficient.” The bare minimum. Tolerable. Not perfection. Not everything-you-can-possibly-give. Not a specific result.
Enough. Sufficient. Fine and wonderful and perfectly good as is.
What if, my friends asked me, “enough” is about the things you can control (your actions) rather than the things you can’t (the result)?
What if “enough” is about how you’re living your life, rather than what you get from it?
What if you follow your heart? What if you do the things that matter to you? What if you surround yourself with love and joy and freedom and adventure? Isn’t that “enough”?
This conversation came full-circle as I was putting the finishing marks on these new paintings this week. I realized that I’ve been exploring this idea of “enough” in these paintings all along. (Isn’t it funny how art will do that? How it will pull something out of the depths of your soul that you didn’t even realize you were grappling with?)
As I’ve mentioned before, I have a tendency to overwork and over-control my paintings. I have accidentally destroyed more good paintings than I can count because I kept going and went too far—because I kept giving it more paint and trying to fix it when really, it was beautiful and wonderful and “enough” many layers before.
Not so with these paintings. I’ve embraced the wild beginnings. The beautiful mess. I’ve embraced enough.
I’ve relinquished control and let myself be seen. I’ve been patient—sitting with some paintings for weeks in order to let my inner critic quiet down so I could actually see what was there.
And what’s there is a whole lot of freedom, exposed layers, and expression.
What’s there is the kind of art that’s been on my heart for years and that I’ve finally been brave enough and clear enough to express.
These paintings are about surfacing, cracking open, and daring to be in the arena. They’re about embracing you, unapologetically.
I hope they awaken something bold within you and inspire you daily to embrace the mess, be unapologetic, and remember that you’ve been “enough” all along.
Release Details
Email subscribers will receive a link and password to access the paintings on Monday, November 15 at 8 a.m. CDT. The general public will receive access at noon. Get on the list for early access.
Paintings range in size from 8x10 inches to 36x36 inches, ranging in price from $150 to $1,400. Most paintings are on canvas with a few paintings on paper.
Smaller paintings will come framed in a raw wooden floater frame. Framing recommendations for larger paintings and paintings on paper will be included in the description of each listing.
For more inspiration behind the collection, listen to this podcast episode about changes I’ve seen in my work over the years, and the quote and ideas that inspired this new collection.
Questions about the new collection? Send me an email and I’ll gladly get back to you with answers ASAP!