Inspired by Seth Pearson, “Stepping into Masculinity” depicts spring during sunrise and summer during daytime in the left canvas. While “Embracing Femininity” is inspired by Seth’s Mom, Jean Pearson, which depicts fall during sunset and winter during nighttime in the right canvas. These canvases work together to embrace the year as a progression of balancing masculinity and femininity, rather than a cycle of life and death. There are three trees embracing the four seasons across these canvases to symbolize the growth in Seth’s life, in which stepping into his masculinity has allowed Seth to harness energy as warm as the sun, highlighted by gold glitter, to fully embrace femininity by loving and nourishing himself first, in turn, giving love and nourishment to the universe around him. As he lives in harmony with the universe, one of Jean’s favorite animals, a squirrel, feeds on Samaras from the middle tree and tosses them into the air. Seth, who is standing silhouetted under the tree, reaches out to catch one of these helicoptering samaras, taking the opportunity to connect with his mom’s spirit, who is beautifully woven into this universe. Balanced and prepared to survive the coldest nights of winter, Seth will find that moving water never freezes, allowing him to always see his reflection. Upon the moon and its reflection, Seth will find his mother’s spirit reflecting back towards him, reminding him to look up, where his mom’s spirit is splattered in the stars flying next to her son’s legacy, giving his soul the love and strength it needs to grow the tallest among trees.

The power of music to shed light and unite one another is boundless. Those who are blessed with such musical abilities have such a great influence in this world. I am flattered that I got to paint the musical influence of Payten Redwood. Her voice raises people up to stand on mountains - just like the importance of her favorite song " You Raise Me Up" incorporated in this piece, with her spirit as a hummingbird singing to guide another hummingbird. She sure makes the world brighter with her voice and has inspired me with her story!

“Mother Sunshine” is a Mother’s Day gift for Rooh Steif, inspired by her son, Chaz, who spoke of his mom as the rising sun: bright, talented and warm in spirit. As Chaz lives in Seattle, he is reminded with every sunrise of his mother’s love. For Chaz and his mom their beloved dog, Gretel, is a huge part of their lives. Although she has passed, she is still with us through every step we take, as a part of this land, which is why I painted her as a mountain, symbolizing to both Chaz and his mom that she connects both of them no matter how far. I hope Rooh always remembers that she is her son’s biggest inspiration to move with the rising sun and experience all the love this universe has in store for him!

Inspired by Faylen, “Her Light & Dark Energy” captures her Bipolar as a superpower rather than a disorder. During our one-on-one, Faylen expressed that mania for her feels like the color white and depression feels like the color blue.I chose to paint with these colors to show that mania could be seen as white light and depression as blue darkness to her mental universe, where light cannot exist without darkness and balance is achieved through understanding the darkest depths of space are just as important as the brightest stars and moons. As Faylen works towards balance, she will find peace in understanding her feelings aren’t confined to highs and lows, but to light and darkness, where her universe extends as far as she dares to discover!

“A Peaceful Walk under the Moon” is a gift for Lynn Pasley inspired by her son, Devon Cantrell. As Devon distinctly remembers family vacations to Kalaloch Beach bringing his mom the most peace, I wanted to guide Lynn back to these precious family memories. Since walks along the shore are one of Lynn’s favorite things to do at Kalaloch Beach, I painted her silhouette walking under the moon. The moon reminds Lynn to reflect and focus on the memories that brought her the most peace, like their family vacations to Kalaloch beach. Along the beach, she will find Devon and his dad, Dan, building a sandcastle together. As well as their dog, Coola, who recently passed away, exploring along the shore. With this painting, Lynn will have a lasting memory of their family vacations to Kalaloch Beach hanging up on her wall. I hope that whenever she looks at it, she always remembers that her son wishes her a life full of as much peace as they have found at this special beach together.

“Motherly Love” is a birthday gift for my mom, Rebecca Busby, inspired by the love she learned from her mother, Wanda, which she then passed down to me. Above lush fields of evergreen trees, our portraits light up the night sky.I chose to paint with yellows and greens since the women in my family have an energy that is warm and lively despite the darkness surrounding them. My grandma is in the middle of my mom and I since she has made an important impact in our lives over the years, from helping free our family from domestic abuse, to providing my mom with the tools she needed to be a great single mother and in turn raise an outstanding daughter. It was in the beginning of this year that my grandma also moved in with my mom, which has given my mom the opportunity to care for and love her mom in the same way my mom was cared for and loved by her mom. Likewise, caring for her mother has allowed my mom to connect more with me! This painting is a testimony of the truth that my mom and I wouldn’t be the women we are today without the love grandma Wanda taught us. It is because of my grandma’s will to fight for what’s right, that my mom and I were able to stand on our own and dance with the stars of our ancestors before us.

“Merging Two Cities” is inspired by Victoria as a birthday gift for her best friend, Kimmi. It was such a pleasure getting to hear about their journey of friendship during our one-on-one. As international students, they became close during their adventures in Seattle after moving from their home town of Changzhou, China to attend UW Seattle. I wanted to capture these cities for Kimmi since they had a great influence on her identities as well as their friendship.  Located on the bottom left of the canvas is a silhouette of the Space needle, signaling Seattle, and on the bottom right of the canvas is a silhouette of an iconic training temple, signaling Changzhou.  The bright, flowing colors symbolize time and space since it’s daytime in Changzhou as it is nighttime in Seattle. Looking closely on the Seattle nighttime side, you will find silhouettes of Victoria and Kimmi at a table conversing over a meal— one of Kimmi’s favorite things to do is eat! As they interact, their spirits, indicated by gold sparkles, intertwine and flow up to wrap around the moon. Just as the sun radiates the same gold sparkles throughout the day in Changzhou, Victoria and Kimmi have harnessed the same warm energy through their friendship in Seattle. I want Kimmi to remember that whenever she feels alone, she can pick up this canvas and mold the touchable sun as a reminder that no matter how far, Victoria will always be there to provide loving warmth to her during her darkest days, just as the sun, who has already given daylight to their hometown, will shine again halfway across the world in Seattle!

“Warm Memories” is a series inspired by Spencer Anderson and the time he spent in Arizona during his first few years of college before he transferred back to Washington. During our one on one, I got a chance to listen to some of the amazing memories he had experienced in Arizona, and then bring them to life on a canvas! The left canvas features a sunset dropping behind Mt. Lemmon, where Spencer had one of the most memorable experiences hiking Mt. Lemmon and watching the sunset. The right canvas features the unforgettable nights with abundant stars he witnessed. I decided to include a galaxy within the night sky to symbolize Spencer’s intelligence! Out of all the experiences he shared with me, the special friendships he made, especially with his frisbee teammates, stood out among the rest and I wanted this painting to be a reminder of those special friendships. Therefore, the middle canvas features Spencer throwing a frisbee to his teammates. His silhouette is largely distorted from his teammates who are off in the distance to symbolize the physical distance that now separates him in Washington to his teammates back in Arizona. He is directly under the moon to symbolize himself reflecting on his time in Arizona and the amazing people he met. Thus, the sun’s rays of energy reflect off of the moon and onto Spencer, raining down over his silhouette as he throws the frisbee, reminding him that he gave the energy of the sun, of gold stardust to his teammates and every one he met along the way.

As a anniversary gift for Ryan Reid, “Distant Fantasies” is a series inspired by Julia Hwang. The two canvases each represent both of their worlds, with Ryan’s as the left canvas and Julia’s as the right canvas. As they share a long distance relationship, both of their silhouettes are in their respected worlds, physically apart from one another. However, look closely and you will see the sparkling energy that each of their silhouettes are giving to each other’s world. Ryan’s world is breathtaking because Julia’s energy is that of the sun, shining with love & making his world worthwhile as soon as the sun rises. Likewise, Julia’s world is breathtaking because Ryan’s energy is that of the moon, reflecting her love,making her world shine, and brightening even the loneliest of nights. Ryan’s world features a mountain range, symbolizing the amazing truths he will discover about Julia in the future. Julia’s world features a cosmos of stars and galaxies, symbolizing the endless possibilities she envisions for Ryan.They are both overlooking the body of water that represents their love, naked and ready to swim and get lost with one another.

Inspired by Alex Mohrenne, this winter series is in remembrance of her father. In the left painting, “Our Time”, the setting sun is small to remind Alex that the energy that feeds this earth is far away, that no matter the distance, energy is still there and her father’s soul is present. The silhouette of her and her father are looking out to the middle painting called, “Our Home” which emphasizes that their home in her heart is special, which is why it lays under the aurora lights. In the right painting, “Our Reflection” accentuates the moon, contrasting it from the small sun because it is close to earth and it controls the tides, of which we are made mostly of water and have a deep connection to it. No matter it’s phase, the moon is always reflecting the light of the sun, showing Alex that she too is reflecting the light and energy of her father’s love.

As a Christmas gift for Michelle’s parents, “Home Forever” is inspired by Michelle Thomas and her incredible mother and father. The far left painting is inspired by Michelle’s mother, Joan, where I’ve incorporated a Guyana inspired landscape to remind her of her roots. I included the setting sun symbolizing the powerful mother she is and the light and love she brings to her family. With the waterfall coming from this painting and filling up the body of water across all three paintings, it is a reminder that she provides a sanctuary for her family to come to and a body of water for life to grow from. The far right painting is inspired by Michelle’s father, Konrad, where I’ve incorporated a Liberia inspired landscape to remind him of his roots. This painting features the full moon symbolizing Konrad and the protector of love he embodies for his family, that he will always reflect Joan’s bright love throughout the night. With the clear night sky, you can see infinite stars to remind him of the great cosmos that is his family - past present and future - that make up the night sky. No matter the darkness or how far they are, Konrad, as the moon, is their guide reflecting their love and light. The middle painting is inspired by Michelle, where I’ve incorporated a Pacific Northwest landscape to remind her parents of where their journey has brought them now with their daughter, Michelle, calling the Pacific Northwest her home. Her silhouette is looking out and reflecting across her family horizon, appreciating the sacrifices and experiences it took her parents to raise such a queen and astonishing young woman.

As a Christmas present for Sam, “Sister Seasons” is inspired by her sister Alex Mohrenne. The painting is split between summer on the left side and transitions into fall on the right side, which symbolizes Sam’s world and Alex’s world respectfully. On Sam’s summer side, a large maple tree over-arches into her sister’s world, which represents Sam’s protective nature over her younger sister and a foundation for her sister to look up to. Alex’s fall side features the bright warm sun shining light into Sam’s world representing her younger sister’s shining energy brought into Sam’s life. Sam and her sister’s silhouettes are in their respective worlds looking out at their life. As the moon indicates the transition in seasons, it is a reminder of Sam’s reflection and the special bond she shares with her sister.

"A Fall's Dance" is inspired by Olivia Derin in memory of her grandfather, Victor Smigel, as a gift for her mother, Bonnie Smigel-Derin, who is his eldest daughter. After hearing of his legacy and the relationship shared between him and his daughter, I only felt it fit to create this beautiful fall scene. As fall signifies a time of change, for her mother, accepting and embracing her father's death is a monumental change in her life, where I've shown strong winds making the trees and leaves dance because it is a joyous change. When my client shared with me why the fox carries the spirit of her grandfather, I couldn't resist having the focus of the scene being a father fox playing with is daughter. Some of the symbolism in the fox that characterizes the spirit of her grandfather include being clever & resourceful, as well as being a trickster because her grandfather was always making people laugh. Entering the scene is the shadowy hands Bonnie holding her father’s two fingers. One of Victor’s favorite platforms for a good joke is his right hand because he burned his two end fingers when he was a child. He is guiding her into the scene and teaching her that her spirit carries the spirit of the fox too, that she too is living his legacy by being true to herself.

“Equilibrium Among Mystic Skies” is a series inspired by Alex Capi and the stories and conversation he shared with me during our one-on-one. I started this painting with no image in mind, just a color that I felt fit right, pink, because Alex embraces his feminine and contagious personality. As we live in a patriarchal world, femininity can be hard to express for anyone, which is why I chose cascading blue over pink skies. You can interpret this pink and blue sky as an audio track or heartbeat, pulsing across the horizon, with these duel colors that so often represent femininity and masculinity reflected across the calm water. In the distance, Alex’s silhouette is at the edge of the calm water looking out towards the mystic skies, where abundant galaxies reside symbolizing the incredible opportunities coming his way. I had so much fun creating this cosmos with a sponge and you can really get lost in the texturing of it. The left canvas features pine trees as they are a favorite for Alex. The right painting features a large moon, symbolizing the great reflection Alex has taken in his life to get him to where he is today and where he wants to go tomorrow. This moon is surrounded by two rotating rings, each indicating the colors that I started with in the sky. These sparkly rings symbolize Alex’s energy. Where the rings cross, you can see the diamond of purple that is created from the individual pink and blue rings. Look closely and you can also see this purple transitioning between the pink and blue skies. It is here, in the purple, that captures the heart of Alex’s energy - a perfect balance between feminine and masculine, of just human, and for that I am so thankful to have experienced such a loving presence by an amazing individual.

Our love extends beyond galaxies,

Shining freely,

Brightening the darkest of nights seen,

And creating wonderful energy.

I believe,

In the power of you and me,

What a blessing,

For two souls to have found peace and harmony!

This portrait and poem was inspired by Jesse Greenough and his abundant love!

"The Space Between Our Worlds" inspired by Olivia Derin, embodies the legacy of her grandfather, Victor Smigel. Unexpected life changes, especially death, bring people to reflection. For Olivia, this reflection wasn't only about the beautiful characteristics of the fox that embody her grandfather's spirit, yet the surroundings, backgrounds and spiritualities of her grandfather. Starting in the bottom left corner, is a cliff made of endless trees that symbolize modern America. The trees are straight and rigid to emphasize the top dog culture in America that influenced the world to follow in its footsteps. Olivia is represented as the silhouetted fox jumping from modern America to revisit the roots of her grandfather who fled Belgium and escaped the Nazi invasion. On this piece of land, I contrasted the trees to be curly, emphasizing for Olivia the beautiful cultures from another land that survived suppression similar to what America is feeling today. The division in the sky between day and night resembles the space in between the physical and spiritual world. Here, her grandfather's spirit radiates across the stars. He is looking towards the moon to remind Olivia of her reflection & all she carries within her. One of which is her faith in Judaism, represented with the Jewish star, at which she revisited deeper after her grandfather's death. This star is bedazzled to show the importance in diversity of faith across the cosmos. As her grandfather's spirit radiates these sparkles, Olivia is protected by her sparkly faith. It's individuals like her, not corrupt politicians, that continue to share their beautiful faith and diversity with others who create change!

“A Universe of Balance” is inspired by Thomas and the comforting energy he embraces. During our one-on-one, I found it so easy to open up to Thomas. He thrived off of reassuring and taking care of me in conversation - something I learned from his stories that he does so naturally, whether that be to listen to his best friend, his mom, or to help comfort his girlfriend in her mental health journey. As Thomas experienced some of the most difficult situations in life, he became strong at a young age. We bonded over telling stories of personal hardships. As I opened up about my life, I found myself shocked by how much his energy mimicked my own partner, Jesse’s, comforting energy. I thanked Thomas for sharing his perspective on taking care of his girlfriend as she manages her mental health, to which I’ll never forget the words he echoed from Jesse’s lips, “I just want her to be comfortable.” Overall, I was truly impressed by Thomas and his ability to take care of his mental health in order to help others, so I created a universe where Thomas could lose his mind wandering among infinite stars. Within this universe are two human energy spirits loving each other in balance. The blue spirit is Thomas’s comforting and flowing energy represented as water. He is providing water to the green woman spirit who is represented as the earth. His thoughts are creating the sun because he yearns for a fiery love. The earth woman spirit thrives off his pouring water and she gains confidence through the way he thinks of her as the sun, allowing her to fully blossom. Likewise, the green earthy spirit of this woman has carved out oceans for Thomas’s spirit to reside within. Her thoughts are holding the moon because she yearns for deep reflection and appreciation. Thomas’s spirit thrives off of her vibrant energy and he gains confidence through the way she thinks of him as the moon. As they thrive together off of one another, this universe will be a reminder of what Thomas deserves, an incredible and relentless kind of love that provides the utmost comfort all because Thomas always has, is and will live out a life full of loving comfort!

Inspired by Puneetdh, “Her Energy” captures Puneetdh’s resilient energy as a woman. After sharing her story, I wanted to put colors to the pain she has experienced, starting with deep blues and greens as the background. Among the many adversities and hardships in her life shown by the black desolate mountains, her love never failed to shine. She is a remarkable woman because she’s learning to love the dark mountains of her past through her journey - a leader for many! However, with her presence alone, she always has, is and will shine light among the dark, giving to a world in desperate need of more love. This kind of love is warm, of the sun, which is why she is harnessing this energy & giving it to this world. She is the sun’s reflection on the water to remind her that whenever she is feeling down reflecting on her life, that she should never forget that she has continuously reflected the brightest light & energy because she’s a star that will change this world!

We are a cosmos of stars, of our own unique universes. No matter the bodies of water that are between us, our differences don’t divide us, yet unite us. Our universes become stronger when we share with one another - we understand that the very atoms that we are made of, are of the same atoms that hold our universe together. To share our perfect unique universes with our cosmos, allows us to be free & to bring balance to our lives. Inspired by Ish and his relationship with his little brother!

As a Valentine’s Day gift for a special man, “Shared Sunsets” is based on the love shared between Olivia and Zach inspired by the stories Olivia shared with me during our one on one. As they share a long distance relationship - with Zach back in Olivia’s home town of San Diego and Olivia up in Seattle attending UW, I decided to create this stretch of landscape, emphasizing the rolling hills and mountains in between them. Starting with the San Diego foreground, I have painted Zach’s silhouette at the edge of the ocean looking out at the sunset. I want Zach to remember that the water that crashes on the shores of San Diego is of the same body of water that has crashed on the shores of Seattle, that he can return to the water to feel Olivia’s connection and love. As the love they share is happy and warm, it is that of sun’s rays, indicated by gold glitter. This trinity of love they share is divine, is godlike. Instead of the you - me binary, it’s of gold unity of God in we. When Olivia and Zach look at their reflection in the large moon, they should see that they radiate this love - where I have emphasized Zach being surrounded by the sun’s gold reflection off the water, and the moon raining down light onto Olivia back in Seattle (look closely and you will see the space needle!) Finally, the infinite stars and galaxies is a place of reference for Zach to turn to when he experiences insomnia as it is with dimensions of darkness that we often think the most and wonder awake at night, so Zach can get lost wandering in these stars, knowing that he is loved by Olivia from afar.

This 2 panel series is inspired by Malcolm, Jesse’s humble father, who has taken me in as his daughter and shown me a father’s love that is warm, unlike anything I have experienced before. The left painting, “Father Sun” features Malcolm’s love & spirit symbolized by the large sun and its sparkling energy. One of Malcolm’s recognizable traits is his tattoo of the Ash Wednesday cross on his forehead, which I have created in the sun’s rays. Jesse grew up in a unique situation in which his mom worked full time while his father stayed at home and raised the kids. Thus, I made this sun and its rays the face of Jesse’s father’s spirit - sparkly, gold and feminine. Jesse carries this spirit he learned from his father, staying calm while embracing his emotions as a man. I often tell people that Jesse has a spirit so rooted in feminism that he really has enhanced how I see myself as a woman, supporting and nurturing our relationship out of equity - teaching me a love I didn’t know could come from a man, or better yet said, teaching me the love of a man rather than the love of a boy. This kind of man that has supported me through my recovery has learned from his father, which is why the silhouettes of Jesse and I are admiring the sunset - at the legacy of Malcolm’s loving spirit. Jesse and I embody his spirit and love, shown by the gold energy radiating off of us. The right painting, “Tree of Recovery” features a tree symbolizing the growth I have experienced through recovery while I was supported by Jesse and the beautiful love he carries from his father. This tree grew away from the sun at first, symbolizing the abusive and manipulating “love” I received from my biological father when I was young. However, by leaving that manipulative relationship with Jesse’s help and recovery, symbolized by the moon and it’s reflection, I changed directions and started to grow and reach for sun, which is why I keep reaching for Jesse and the warm love of his father’s spirit - everyday learning more about the kind of love I deserve as a woman. I want Malcolm to remember that by letting go of pain and experiencing recovery, the moon is reflecting his sparkling gold energy back at him and his tree of life is growing to embody his loving spirit more and more everyday, which is why the tree is radiating gold energy.

“Father Compass” is a birthday gift for William Gwinn inspired by his daughter, Rian Wansteet. During our one-on-one, Rian was glowing as she told me one of her favorite memories were summer family vacations to Elk Lake, Michigan with her father. With bright clear rainbow skies and waters to signify the joy this memory brought Rian, I recreated this special family memory on a canvas. Look closely and you will see her father, William, diving off the dock, as Rian told me she vividly remembers this. She also shared with me that Madeline is the apple of his eye so I have included her little silhouette running on the dock after him. William is diving into the reflecting moonlit water where his love, Mary, is waiting for him. I decided to have William and Mary centered along the purple layer of the water because purple is a mix of two strong colors, red and blue. The silhouettes of his three children, Dan, Rian and Erin are looking out at the scene admiring their father. As the moon symbolizes reflection, with the edge of the sparkly moonlit water touching Rian’s head, I have centered this painting on the moon and it’s reflection along the water to symbolize Rian’s reflection on her father. Since William changed the course of this family’s life for the better, his energy is of the moon indicated by rainbow sparkles. Both him and Mary are swimming within these sparkles showing that he has brought love to her life with his reflective energy. Like a compass, his sparkling energy is pulsing off the moon in all four directions symbolizing the change in direction he brought to this family, for Rian especially. With this painting, he’ll have a lasting memory of his summer family vacations to Michigan hanging up on his wall. I hope that whenever he looks at it, he always remembers that he has forever changed the course of Dan, Rian and Erin’s life for the better - that he brought a father’s sparkling love and energy to Rian’s life and has forever inspired her to reach for the stars.

“Steps of Progress” is inspired by Alex and the growth he has made since our last one-on-one. In contrast to his first night-themed painting, this painting is set during the day at dawn. I chose to set this painting at dawn because every sunrise marks a new day and as Alex manages his depression, I want this painting to be a place he can turn to when he’s stuck on the old days. The sun is touchable, so when Alex is feeling pain or stress, he can pick up this canvas and mold the stress-free touchable sun with his fingers. Splattered across the painting is the sun’s energy. Although the sun is far, these splattered energy particles emphasize the closeness of the sun’s warmth — her warmth is all around us giving life to the world. Alex radiated when he told me stories about his new adventures and all that’s coming his way, symbolized by the urban blue city to the right. Alex can get lost in the abstract building outlines that represent the advanced systems at work that create our human environment. These outlines are blue to emphasize that this urban city works in harmony with the natural world, which is why the moon is positioned halfway on the canvas, balancing the naturalistic left side and the urban, futuristic right side. As the moon is a sign of reflection, this healthy, balanced society radiates the same gold sparkles of the moon, outlining three stair steps that reach past the clouds. These steps symbolize the steps of progress within Alex’s life. Notice that they aren’t even and that they contain the different complex blue systems of the city, symbolizing the complexity and uniqueness that comes with each individual step of progress. With this painting, Alex has a futuristic world that he can look up to for inspiration as he adventures off to his new, exciting destinations. I’m so happy for the progress Alex has and will continue to make in this world!

“Her Glorious Temple” is inspired by a very strong and resilient woman, Olivia Eide! During our one-on-one, Olivia shared with me stories that reflected her growth. As Olivia manages her depression, she came to me for a painting that would light up her room and bring positive vibes— something she could hang above her bed and come home to. Thus, I created a majestic get-away as a reference for Olivia to turn to— to center herself and love herself amidst all life’s challenges and pain. In this glorious scene, Olivia’s spirit is symbolized by the sun, where sunshine reaches up, off of the horizon, to create Olivia’s curvy gorgeous body. It reaches to the moon as a reminder for Olivia to look at her reflection and honor herself. I made an anti-stress touchable sun, placed directly in between her hips, which symbolizes her temple of love and pleasure. As Olivia touches and molds this sun, it will be a guide for her to follow as she learns to love herself greater and greater, each and everyday. Below the horizon, Olivia’s bottom half of her spirit resides within mystic waters as a reminder that she should feel the utmost comfort as she swims within her waters of love. Just as Olivia’s energy, indicated by gold sparkles, shines out from her sun and holds her reflection within the moon as she loves herself, her waters sparkle the same gold energy— giving love to the glorious mountains of growth in her life!

“Spirit Holder of the Sun and Moon” is inspired by Jacquelyn Kahn and her resilient energy. The offset positioning of this three panel series is intentionally suppose to represent the growth Jaquie has experienced as a survivor, where the left canvas symbolizes the dark and painful parts of her life, and the right canvas symbolizes the bright and best parts of her life, with the middle canvas balancing out the left dystopia and the right utopia. Jaquie’s radiating gold spirit resides in-between these worlds in balance. She is in balance because she is accepting of her dystopia along with her utopia, shown by her gold energy reaching out and holding the sun and moon in their respective worlds. The horizon strikes through all three canvases, and meets at Jaquie’s spirit’s hips, emphasizing the deep connection she has to herself that grounds her in this balance. Looking at Jaquie’s dystopia in the left canvas, I have created a desolate world, where her tree of life is dying of thirst. In order to love these dark times, Jaquie has experienced loads of reflection and therapy, highlighted with the majority of the canvas being an ocean under the horizon — bringing hydration to her thirsty tree of life. Whenever, Jaquie is reflecting on these dark times, she can pick up this canvas and mold the touchable sun with her fingers for comfort. Moving on to her utopia in the far right canvas, there is a change with more sky than water coming off of the horizon,  symbolizing the endless possibilities Jaquie wants for herself in her life. She can get lost wandering these consolations of stars and galaxies as her life unfolds. This utopia features lush, green mountains, symbolizing the successes coming her way. Her gold energy reaches and spirals around the moon in the same way that her energy spirals around her face, showing that she truly has the face of the moon, reflecting light when it’s dark from the many galaxies of success she has and will experience, as well as, from her desolate sun of pain and thirst — a true testimony of what it means to be a survivor and a self-loved woman!

“Centering Sun” is a three panel series inspired by Megan Rickey. As Megan and I shared stories about our wild lives with each other during our one-on-one, I was particularly impressed by the resilience she carries as a woman. Despite the pain and struggles Megan has survived through, she is such a bright soul full of laughter and smiles! Thus, I wanted to depict her bright energy as the sun to remind her that no matter how hard life’s pain and depression hits, she can turn to these paintings to center herself and love herself. The middle canvas represents the peace Megan experiences when she is in balance with herself. Since the water has always been a place for Megan to return to and center herself, I have captured her silhouette at the edge of these sparkly waters. As she looks across these waters and mountains to the finger-painted sky full of her cloudy memories, she admires the warm sun that gives life to the world around her.  These gold rays of sunshine that reach out from the sun embody Megan’s feminine energy.  As it is impossible for anyone to live a life full of complete balance, I have crafted two universes on each side of the sun that represent the two extremes of the safe and violent spaces we fall between in life. The left canvas symbolizes the violent spaces we experience in life. Here, the moon is large since surviving these dark spaces requires great reflection and healing. In contrast, the right canvas symbolizes the safe spaces we experience in life. Here, the moon is far away since experiencing the safest spaces requires a deep connection to oneself, where no matter how far away the moon is, one is still aware of their reflection. As Megan’s life unfolds, she can imagine her little silhouette traveling between these canvases, sometimes looking up to a night sky full of violent space or a night sky full of safe space. Either way the space may seem, there are always stars shining, just as Megan herself has always shined, regardless of the spaces she’s survived through in life!

“Sun Flower Spirit” is a gift for Ayah inspired by her aunt, Alyna Khan. This painting embodies the love and support Ayah has from her family that will allow her to blossom into the brightest star of her universe. I created this painting while Ayah developed in her mother’s womb, symbolizing Ayah’s spirit as a seed rooting and growing into her universe. Her roots dig deep into the soil, as she is deeply rooted in her beautiful Pakistani heritage and family. As the land is viewed as split in half, it gives the impression that there are two bodies of water on each side of the land, which represent the outpouring love and support Ayah has from both her mother, Ahlia, and father, Sameer. However, imagining the land viewed normally will uncover that these bodies of water wrap around the island as one, together providing an everlasting reservoir of hydration to nourish their daughter’s spirit. The center focuses on the sun and its glow, which signifies that the sun feeding her spirit is the brightest in the universe, allowing for Ayah’s spirit flower to grow from the greatest energy source. ️As the moon is a symbol of reflection, emphasizing its connection to the water and reflecting the sun’s bright light, it is a reminder for Ayah that upon reflection, she will find that her parents always provide a safe space for her to grow. Once Ayah was born, I connected her sprouting seed to the bright sun, emphasizing for Ayah that the sun feeding her blooming spirit will be the same sun her spirit blossoms into because she is the brightest light, whose energy will help so many more spirits break through.

Inspired by Rog, “Home is Her Field of African Violets” embodies his loving energy. During our one-on-one, I was touched by the love and admiration Rog has towards his parents.With this series, I wanted to bring their spirits to life on a canvas for Rog to turn to for meditation to connect with his mother and his father. The center canvas brings their love together through their son; Rog, who is silhouetted with arm tattoos accented in gold. Just as Rog is silhouetted, so is his father’s spirit. The right canvas emphasizes the connection he has with his father and the destiny he manifests while his father is away flying under the moon. As the moon reflects the sun’s sparkly gold rays upon Rog’s father, far from the left canvas they embody the love Rog’s mother shines.️ She is the sunshine that guides love ones through the night. She is the sunshine that feeds fields of self-loving African Violets. And most importantly, she is the sunshine that warms Rog’s skin with every new day. A reminder for Rog that the destiny he manifests is one out of his mother’s love, where fields of African violets are free to roam.

“Surviving Seas” is inspired by Angus Gritz and the conversation we shared during our one-on-one. Angus has one of the biggest hearts out there despite the struggles and hardships he has faced in his young life. One thing that stood out to me from our conversation is how in tune Angus is with his emotions and his ability to manage his mental health. As someone who also lives with PTSD, it was refreshing to bond with another survivor, which is why I was inclined to create this majestic scene. As videos games played a central role in helping Angus cope throughout life, I have created a landscape inspired by the scenery in World of Warcraft, one of Angus’s favorite video games. In this video game inspired scene, you’ll find a late night to the right side of the canvas that transitions into a sunrise to the left side of the canvas. The night features a beautiful galaxy that bends around the moon and reaches towards the waterfall to emphasize the moon’s connection to the water, reminding Angus of his reflection and the importance of bringing hydration to his mind. As the water reaches out to the sea under the sunrise, the sky features many clouds, reminding Angus that the future is not always clear, but cloudy, full of mystery and adventure! Among the division between night and day along the sparkly waters, Angus sails out from a new dawn to his future out at sea where endless possibilities and opportunities are awaiting him. 

“A Love Bound by Music” is an anniversary gift for Jorge Castillo, inspired by his incredible girlfriend and one of my dearest friends, Madeline Clarke. As I have known these two lovebirds for years now, I was thrilled to get the chance to capture such a genuine and honest kind of love through this night and day series. Starting with the left canvas, I have captured their night with a focus on the moon.  As the moon has a strong connection to the water, I want both Madeline and Jorge to remember that they have always been a safe space for me to turn, guiding me to hydration and health, which is why their body of water sparkles gold, as it is a space for anyone to swim in and feel loved. The moon is also a sign of reflection and if there is one thing that stands out upon reflecting on Madeline and Jorge’s journey of love, is that they are bounded by the love they share for music.🦋 Whether it be Husky Marching Band, dancing, festivals and concerts, or even their dreams of DJing together one day, their love of music keeps their connection strong, which is why I crafted their little silhouettes dancing the night away upon their majestic mountain-tops of struggles and triumphs to gold sparkly music notes.  These music notes accent the colors of sunshine in their right daytime canvas, reminding them that no matter how dark the night may stay, they always have music to light their way, to a brighter day, where their tree of life and love will forever grow and stay!

“Purple Pride, Power & Peace” is a gift for Isadora, inspired by the conversation and stories I shared with her aunt, Alyna Khan, during our one-on-one. As Isadora is the first of her generation in their family, she is blessed to be surrounded by such loving and accepting individuals, of which are her parents, Emily and Kashif Talmikhan. Alyna adores how her brother and sister in law raise Isadora in love and acceptance, where they don’t push a gender binary on her. Instead, they encourage her to be true to herself and her identities, supporting Isadora with love and acceptance along the way.Providing this gender fluid sanctuary for Isadora to explore herself is remarkable and I am in awe of the wisdom her parents, let alone Alyna’s whole family carries to foster such extraordinary growth.Thus, I was inspired to create an abstract universe that embodies the loving energies brought together of her mother and father that will guide Isadora to everything she desires to be in life. As pink has traditionally been represented as a female color, I based Emily’s energy off of it, creating Isadora’s day with a warm sun of comfort among pink skies on the left side of the canvas.️ On the other hand, as blue has traditionally been represented as a male color, I based Kashif’s energy off of it, creating Isadora’s night with endless galaxies of wisdom among blue skies on the right side of the canvas. As pink and blue merge they create purple, a color that has no tie to male or female, yet to pride, power, and peace, creating Isadora’s royal, free-flowing energy. Isadora, I hope that as you grow up in life, you never forget to turn to the moon that holds your reflection of the beauty that is your divine energy — of the deep and light sparkling purples that will make waves of loving change throughout this world.

Inspired by Gigi Dawn, “A Love as Bright as Dawn” is a gift for her boyfriend, Zack Hernedez, for his 25th birthday. During my one-on-one with Gigi, I was moved by the genuine love she has for Zack as she glowed telling stories about him. I felt such a great happiness and a sense of peace radiating from within Gigi, which attracted me to want to learn more about the influential man supporting her. We ended up talking for hours and I can surely say that I am very impressed with the wisdom, strength, talent and love Zack carries throughout life. This painting embodies the beauty from where Zack came from, is, and will become.🏼‍ Starting with the right canvas, I have captured Zack’s home island of Oahu under the night stars, reminding Zack of his Ohana - meaning family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. As Zack successfully runs an empowering business, Ancient Elite Performance, I have included his dream of having a facility on the beaches of his homeland some day. Transitioning to the middle canvas, Zack’s silhouette is at the edge of the shore, admiring the moon and it’s reflection, reminding him to be aware of the present, which includes every sacred moment that his breath draws a connection with this universe. As the moon’s reflection sparkles, it is a reminder to Zack that upon reflection, he will always find that loving and being true to himself allows others to grow, including Gigi Dawn, whose day begins at dawn in her pacific northwest home on the left canvas to these magical sparkles of love, a love she has for everything Zack was, is and will become — a future far brighter for Zack than he could ever imagine!

Inspired by Zack Lane, “A Divine Mind” embodies his perseverance to survive all life’s challenges and his strength in understanding his own mind in relation to it all. Starting with the lower left canvas, Zack’s silhouette is surrounded by palm trees as a reminder of his home back in California. As he admires the rising sun to a new day, there is a single bird flying among the clouds towards the horizon. As the bird catches his attention, it is a symbol of opportunity, reminding Zack that when life gets hard and we lose our sense of direction, paying attention to the world around us will open the door for something to spark our curiosity and give us purpose. Listening to the universe, Zack forms a connection with the bird and in return the bird guides Zack to greater opportunity. As he sets off on this new journey, he must sail through strong waters and although he is afraid, he discovers his reflection amidst the calm currents and learns to trust the moon and her direction. Once he reaches the shore on the other side, he perseveres while climbing the mighty mountains of life that lead into the right canvas, which is positioned higher to indicate the growth he has experienced by opening his mind and learning from it. With it being nighttime in the right canvas, two moons light his way until the sun has a chance to shine again tomorrow. After a long day of discovery Zack rests under the stars, finding peace in the way the universe flows just as his mind knows that his journey will go so far.

“Son of Truth” is inspired by Andrew Westphal, who has been surviving on his own from the start of his time with the universe guiding his mind. Emerging from the thick pines, which resemble the painful shadows of the past, comes Andrew’s little silhouette. With the moon shinning his way through some of the darkest nights, he is pulled towards the water, reminding him of the hydration his mind needs in order to see his world clearly. After he drinks from the sparkly waters of love, he turns around one last time, peering into the thick pines, letting go of his desires to find light within the dark shadows of his past and starts his journey towards self love at last. The journey is still long and dangerous, yet Andrew chooses to walk along the water, understanding that he has the power to follow a safer path towards loving himself greater. Eye to eye with the sun of truth, he realizes that the water only sparkles because the setting sun shines, rejoicing in the truth that he always has been the brightest son among the thickest pines!

“Voice of a Goddess” is inspired by Nikki Tuttle and the love she channels through communication. During our one-on-one, she empowered me in dialogue as she spoke of the love she has for life; appreciating the lows for there wouldn’t be highs without them, striving to let go in efforts to be more fluid, embracing rebirth and change, all while putting her faith in the universe because she works in abundance rather than scarcity. As a healer, she shed light to how magical this universe can be with endless possibilities for love to channel through us as long as we are open to connect with it. In this series, I wanted to depict this love as gold sparkles, with the bottom canvas symbolizing life on earth and the top canvas symbolizing infinite life or, as some may say, heaven.This heaven is rooted within complete balance, represented as a blue night and purple day dissipating into infinite love.Respectfully, the moon and sun center around Nikki’s mountain of privilege, where she stands atop, fully embracing her privilege of communication by being a channel for infinite love to shine through— guiding lost souls out of the darkness with her voice of a Goddess.

“Infinite Gold Love” is inspired by Chaz Zuker and the parts of his life that he cherishes most. As the sun sets over Southern California, where Chaz grew up, his beloved and deceased dog, Gretel, stands silhouetted against a rainbow Pacific Ocean sending infinite gold love east and around the moon to Chaz, who is silhouetted playing his guitar against pine trees at Camp Conrad Chinnock.  This camp became a family for Chaz in the fight against type 1 diabetes, and anyone who is part of Chaz’s family will agree that he is an incredibly talented musician. As Chaz pursues his passion for guitar, he sends infinite gold love west, back around the moon, to Gretel. When Chaz physically stands in front of this painting and under the moon, this gold infinity of love acts as a mediation for Chaz to connect with his home and family, reminding him that he is truly never alone as he lives his own life under the stars of Seattle.

Inspired by Jake Houser, “Learning Colors” focuses on creating patterns with colors Jake struggles to distinguish to emphasize that being colorblind is a superpower rather than a disability.Jake has trouble seeing every color except black and white so I have his little silhouette in black moving through time and space to the moon in white. His destination is this touchable moon to encourage Jake to reflect on his life since his life is full of rich experiences.  The moon’s connection with the water and atmosphere is accentuated with the colors of pink, purple and blue, which are colors Jake tends to mix up. Since pink and blue have traditionally been viewed as gendered colors and pink and blue mix to create purple, having vision that mixes up these colors allows Jake to see the world in a fluid lense. Jake is walking on these fluid waters that reflect the dripping wet starlit sky, where I have separated the colors of pink, purple and blue among the water, from farthest to closest, in the depths of the mountains.⛰ As we see these colors among the water separated, Jake has the ability to see these waters as one. With this ability, he roots himself in unity and uses his superpowers to bring growth in the colors he mixes up of green grass, and yellow and orange flowers to the dehydrated mountains in the colors he mixes up of red highlights and brown shadows. As the red and brown desolate mountains blend for Jake, it is a reminder that he has the ability to sense those in most need of help. As the green, orange and yellow growth blend for Jake, it is a reminder that he has the ability to sense most of what could be used to help.With his superpower of being colorblind, Jake will be able to visually connect with this painting and truly meditate with the impact he has made during his young life in a world thirsty for love and connection!

“Purple Dreamscape” is inspired by Grant Blomgren and his love for camping on the coldest days of the year and the color purple. In the right canvas, I created a purple winter night where you’ll find Grant’s little silhouette next to a campfire and his tent. He is standing against the moon’s reflection reminding him to always reflect upon getting to where he wants to be in life, in this case camping on the coldest days of the year. Upon reflection, Grant will find a sunset in the left canvas with a tree whose leaves are falling. Just like the tree, who will prepare for winter by going into power saving mode and shedding its leaves, the beauty in Grant’s story is his ability to save his energy by being prepared and in turn free to dream and experience all of winter’s glory.

“River’s Refelction” is inspired by Dom Laufenberg and the love he is learning through surviving two recent events that changed the direction of his life forever. In 2015, Dom’s mother passed away in the fight against brain cancer. Her spirit is splattered in the stars, reminding Dom that she is with him no matter how far. A year later Dom miraculously survives a car accident with a train, his mom watching over and reminding him that the world needs the wisdom of his brain.Two years later, as we are about to enter Dom’s favorite season of winter, you’ll find Dom sailing along his past, out of the darkness, as he practices more mediation and mindfulness.  As he sees himself in the face of the full moon, aware of the love that is found upon reflection, he understands that his life shines as bright as creation, and that he always has the power to choose his own destination.

“A Higher Life” is a gift for Nikolai Eide, inspired by his love for cannabis and his sister, Olivia. For Nikolai, cannabis has changed his life for the better, allowing him to better manage his superpowers of epilepsy, cerebral palsy, OCD, Asperger’s and Bipolar disorder. Witnessing the benefits first hand, Olivia expressed that cannabis has been the best medicine for Nikolai, helping him in many ways, from reducing his seizures to improving his attitude, mood and behavior. As Olivia shares the same love for cannabis, I decided to paint Nikolai and Olivia’s silhouettes standing in the middle of cannabis fields, looking across the ocean towards a cannabis inspired sunset, and bonding over a smoke. One way Nikolai and Olivia have bonded while smoking is through reminiscing about the people they love and admire most, including Grandpa Thor, whose spirit is splattered in the stars left of the moon, and cousin, Dustin Kadlec, whose spirit is splattered in the stars right of the moon. Together, their spirits remind Nikolai that they will always be with him and supporting him. The crescent moon is directly above Nikolai and Olivia, as a reminder that Nikolai will always have a safe and supporting space to heal, reflect and grow to a higher life with his sister by his side. 

“The Space Between” is a gift for Ethan White inspired by his girlfriend, Annie Murray, and the love they share with one another. As Annie’s spirit shines bright, I chose to paint her energy as the sun with a focus on its connection to the land. Just as the sun nourishes the land, the land grows plentiful with daisies, which are Annie’s birth flower, to remind Ethan of the woman that continuously astounds him with her growth. On the other side, as Ethan’s spirit shines light, I chose to paint his energy as the moon with a focus on its connection to the water. Just as the moon controls the tides, the tides reflect the moon to remind Ethan that he is fully capable of controlling the life he wants to live as long as he takes time to reflect. Together, their energies collide, filling love within the space between them and bringing balance to their universe.

“Master of All Elements” is inspired by Kai Schmidt and his love for one of his favorite childhood TV shows, The Avatar. In the show, Aang is the most powerful when he is in the Avatar State, which is a defense mechanism designed to empower him with the skills and knowledge of all past Avatars. In order to have complete control of this state, Aang must master bending all the elements of water, earth, fire and air. Just like Aang, Kai always has the potential to reach his Avatar State when he is most powerful, no matter how in or out of control he feels. However, as he learns to master his surrounding elements, through patience and awareness, he is able to to connect more and more with the spirit world to understand the skills and knowledge of his past ancestry. Through enlightenment, Kai will continue to strive to harmonize his surrounding elements, knowing that he is in the most control of his superpowers when he understands the truth of how his spirit came to be, what it is now and what it has the potential to become.With this painting, Kai will always have something to look to when he feels out of control, grounding him in the wisdom of living his life through balance to discover the truth of his spirit.

“Sacred Pine” is inspired by Devon Cantrell and the growth he continuously makes rooted from a balanced mind.Since pine trees represent longevity and wisdom, a silhouetted pine tree reaches for the stars falling in between the sun and moon in balance.☯️ This tree symbolizes Devon’s life and although his branches had a late start to their bloom, they have survived some of the coldest and cloudiest days and are bound to dance with the brightest of stars soon.As Devon lives out his life, there will be times when he falls out of balance. During such times, this painting will be there to remind him to turn to the sun and moon.  The moon reflects the sun’s light and, as the tide is controlled by the moon, the water also reflects the sun’s light. Devon, just like the pine tree, absorbs the sun’s light. May he forever celebrate in the way his spirit absorbs the light, which like the pine tree, stays evergreen throughout winter giving hope to anyone who sees!

“Gentle & Humble Spirit” is inspired by Jesse Greenough in memory of his grandfather, Alfred Melton, as a Birthday gift for his grandmother, Terry Melton. As Alfred is a decorated military veteran, I painted his portrait across the sky in the patriotic colors of red, white and blue.🇺🇸Terry can imagine Alfred’s spirit as the rising red sun among a blue night full of white stars. Jesse, who remembers the gentle humility of Papa Al’s spirit, followed in his footsteps, taking care of me in the same way Alfred loved Terry.️ As Jesse rests silhouetted on these purple mountains, he admires his grandfather's spirit, reminding Terry to find peace and joy in the way that Alfred’s spirit carries on through the life of her grandson.

“A Mother’s Legacy” is a Mother’s Day gift for Jennifer, inspired by her son, Jonathan.  As Jonathan and his siblings grow older, Jennifer will always have her children close with this portrait. From left to right, Madison, Kevin and Jonathan light up the night sky to serve as a reminder that no matter how dark things may seem, her children love her beyond her wildest dreams!

“Guiding Sister Spirit” is a gift for Angela-Mae inspired by her younger sister, Joy. Angela-Mae has really been a mom for Joy and their other siblings. When their oldest brother was in the Navy and foster care separated her remaining siblings, Angela-Mae was a figure of hope when all seemed lost and one by one, as each sibling turned of age, they made it back home to Angela-Mae. Joy with her two brothers and sister are silhouetted walking towards their older sister’s portrait radiating across the night sky, comforted by her light, which illuminates the darkness surrounding them.Just as the full moon brings reflection, this painting will be here to remind Angela-Mae that her family looks up to her, especially through the darkest of times, because she naturally guides stars to dance in place of scars, and will always be there no matter how far!