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! If you want to be inspired through song, I highly suggest giving her a follow!

“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 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 my client’s special man, “Distant Fantasies” is a series inspired by the love shared between Ryan and Julia. 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 Cherilynn , “Our Spirit of Love” is a panel series in memory of Spencer Brewer, Cherilynn’s first genuine love. I painted an Alaskan inspired landscape to bring Cherilynn back to Spencer’s last moments of life, where I created stormy seas to capture Spencer’s resting grounds since he lost his life while working a tugboat job that he was incredibly passionate about. The free flowing cosmos of stars above this ocean embodies Spencer’s incredible spirit. As the moon is reflected off of the water, it shows the connection between the water and the cosmos, reminding Cherilynn that Spencer’s spirit is here among us on earth and among the unknown dancing within the cosmos. The far right canvas features a glorious sunrise emerging from the mountains. From the way Cherilynn talked of Spencer, I know Cherilynn was the brightest ray of sunshine for Spencer’s life, which is why this rising sun represents Cherilynn’s radiant love. Her glorious love extends over a purple mountain range, which symbolizes the unforgettable memories shared between Cherilynn and Spencer. A river flows from these mountains and pours into the ocean in the middle canvas. As this river continuously flows, it carves out pieces of these mountains of memories and carries them to the ocean to share with Spencer at his resting grounds. Cherilynn’s silhouette is at the edge of where this river meets the ocean. She is admiring Spencer’s spirit. As she gets lost wandering among his waves and stars, she is radiating the same gold energy as the sun, emphasizing that she still carriers the same love that has healed herself, Spencer and their relationship. As much as this series is in memory of Spencer, it is also a reminder that Cherilynn’s love saved Spencer — that Spencer’s life was lived to the fullest because he got the opportunity to be loved by the most remarkable woman. Cherilynn, I know if Spencer had the chance to say some last words, he would tell you to never stop loving life the way you do because your love is the kind of love that rises with each new sun and makes everyone’s day brighter — it alone has brought justice to Spencer and his life forever!

Inspired by Alex, 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 fathers love. 

As a Christmas gift for my client’s parents, “Home Forever” is inspired by Michelle 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.

A Christmas present for my client’s sister, Sam, “Sister Seasons” is inspired by the relationship and bright love shared between Alex and her sister. The painting is split between summer on the left side and transitions into fall on the right side, which symbolizes Sam’s world and her sister, 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 shinning light into Sam’s world representing her younger sister’s shinning 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.

Here, I got the phenomenal opportunity to represent a client who's grandfather just passed away through a two panel project. "A Fall's Dance" is a surprise gift for my client's mother, the eldest daughter to the grandfather. 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 of the mother holding the two fingers of her father (one of his favorite platforms for a good joke is his right hand because he burned his two end fingers when he was a child) who 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 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, feminity 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. 

Inspired by Olivia, "The Space Between Our Worlds" focuses on the legacy of Olivia's grandfather. 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. I decided to camouflage Trump's silhouette within this cliff. The trees are straight and rigid to emphasize the top dog culture in America that influenced the world to follow in it's foot steps. 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. Olivia is also jumping to this land to lead the way for America to revisit history and learn from it! The coral orange sunset sky can be seen as the destruction of the climate and large fossil emissions present in our atmosphere. Again, something America is leading, yet can be changed by leaders like Olivia willing to jump & learn from other countries and the world. 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 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 wondering 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 his 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!

"Diso Dreams" is inspired by Josue and the memories he made at The Gorge during Paradiso. 

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 amongst 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 wondering in these stars, knowing that he is loved by Olivia from a far.

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 inspired by the fatherly love William carries that has forever changed the course of his daughter, Rian’s life. 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! 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 admits 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!