Studio Paintings
In my studio I get to slow down and let the work simmer on the wall and the easel.
oil painting on panel of Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra on the easel
oil painting on panel of fresh rain and lichen in the redwood forest of Oakland, California
I paint in both oil and gouache to revisit the experiences that made me stop, look and pull over to capture the magic of what I saw out in nature on a hike. The trail is my muse. Most pieces come from a hybrid of many photos and plein air sketches to make the final work.
I work primarily from photographs I shoot while out on the trail
nature as muse
takes root
This year I found my most confident voice in my work, pushing my unique shapes and intense colors. Each piece often required multiple hikes to the same location to observe it in different light, in order to create a portrait of the trail stops over time.
Stream trail crossing ferns
10”x 7” Gouache Painting
Sword Ferns and the portal of light in the Redwoods
6”x8” Gouache Painting
a return to oils
after completely abandoning oil painting in 2018, giving paints away, swearing to never return to the medium, I inherited my late grandmother’s set of oils and began to recover my relationship with them. I fell in love with the smell, the feeling, and genuine pleasure of working in paint with such life again.
Monterey Cypress at Lovers Point
8”x10” oil on panel
I also had the pleasure of creating this custom piece for a client honoring their favorite tree, the Madrone. Working in this larger size again gave me a huge confidence boost as my work found it’s footing
Flamboyant Friend of the Forest - Madrone
16”x20” oil on panel - custom commission
This work also informed and shifted the shape-language of my gouache paintings. I felt like with each oil painting I was uncovering tiny pieces of my true visual language I had lost once again
flowers from the farm
one of the many places I was teaching and helping others hone their craft was at Bees N Blooms farm in Santa Rosa. They have a lavender labyrinth and gorgeous seasonal blooms that I documented in gouache and turned into prints.
all the rain promises...
the first year exploring and making in response to my hikes was a particularly rainy one. I spent most of early 2024 getting my bearings and finding my voice once again. Watching lots of Studio Ghibli, reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Learning how to spot and connect with the world around me more deeply.
This period in my studio really helped me fall in love with gouache and find my thematic footing. The rich greens of rainy season left everything lush and flowing. It was an honor to capture each of the places where I could fully quiet my mind and be at peace.
midwest interiors
pulled from the windows series, when I returned to painting in 2023, I also returned to my favorite subject matter, the home. Both of these pieces are rendered in gouache of places that held tender space for conversation and connection. The Reading Room piece was in my favorite apartment at golden hour. Roanoke Living Room recalls a summer evening at my best friend’s apartment as we contemplated what the future held for us both.
when folks see these prints in person, they usually say “wow, this space feels really cozy.” exactly.
