S U N D O W N

This collection of paintings explores the deeper rhythms of life that ebb and flow like the setting sun.

Our human existence is cyclical. Just as the seasons change, bringing both storms and calm, our lives are marked by a series of beginnings and endings. Each sunset signifies a close, a need for rest, as well as an invitation to pause and reflect. It greets some of us like the warm embrace of an old friend, while others are swallowed up reluctantly. 

But in the darkness, there are whispers of hope—a reminder that with every closing chapter comes the potential for renewal.

May we use the sundown to reflect on our own rhythms, the moments of rest that restore us, and the new beginnings that await us come sunrise.

Among the Mist

Everyone warns you about the rain in Oregon, but no one prepared me for the fog. When my husband and I moved to Portland in 2019 and I began my painting journey, I was captivated by the beauty. It's natural to want a crisp, blue day for an adventure, but each time we drove through Mount Hood National Forest in the rain, my camera roll was full. 

How could something be both bothersome and beautiful? Unwanted yet enchanting?

It’s easy to find ourselves wishing time away, praying for different circumstances, desiring control.

This series is an encouragement to dig into your current moment. Though the human heart inevitably longs for the clearing of the open country, what are we missing by wishing away the fog?

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Between Us

For the times when it feels like there is a wall between you and the other side. Hold on to the rays of hope breaking through the clouds.

In Your Midst

When you are right where you need to be. The special, sacred moments where there is no fear of the future, worry of the past. You are safe and held.

Looking Glass

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, I have been endlessly inspired by the unique and beautiful landscapes. Since I am largely influenced by my surroundings, you’ll see a lot of trees, mountains, water, and fog in my latest work. This summer I have also had the chance to slow down and spend a lot of time reading. I am not someone who usually enjoys reading, but making time each day to open a book has done wonders for my creativity. All that stuff about reading and imagination is true... My recent work is greatly influenced by The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, more specifically, The Last Battle. The ending blew me away (go read it!). Here is my unofficial artist statement, which is basically just my thoughts behind these paintings. Enjoy!

For many, nature is an escape from the unsettling realities of this world. There is something mysterious that occurs in the human soul when gazing at the ocean; feelings of peace and joy arise, where the beauty of this earth is undeniable. On the other hand, many cannot help but experience a longing for a better, truer, deeper version of our current life, for a place we have never been.

Through the medium of oil paint, I use cloud and water imagery to blur our perception of the natural world and to bring about feelings of hope and yearning. My series “Looking Glass” suggests that our present experience of this world is obscured; that it is a reflection in a mirror, a glimpse of what is to come.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Living Water Within

Here is a look at my Senior Baccalaureate show, the culmination of my time at North Dakota State University. Not only did I gain technical skills in art, but I learned how to form an idea, represent it in a way people understand, and verbally communicate it. I was able to share part of my personal faith testimony in the form of 5 large scale paintings to my classmates, professors, and the art community of Fargo, North Dakota. This was one of the most stretching, yet rewarding experiences of my art journey. Below is my formal artist statement.

Living Water Within is a collection of narrative paintings examining the artist’s experience with God through water imagery and portraiture. Water is used many times in the Bible to describe the vast and perplexing mysteries of God.

These references range from redemptive cleansing to overwhelming floods and speak to the versatile nature of humankind’s relationship and understanding of God.

These artworks are rendered realistically to invite the viewer into a tangible premise that then may allude to more transcendent experiences. The works are displayed as a narrative that begins with absence and expands outward to abundance. Living Water Within tells a story about experience, relationships and identity with an essential element representing a life-giving relationship and spiritual fulfillment through Jesus Christ.