I meditate and begin.
Many people assume that making art comes easily for an artist. For me it does not. It is a mental and visual
obstacle course that demands taking risks. Each part of the process from the empty white canvas or paper to the image-
filled result is an act of discernment. Each mark, color, and shape is intentional and directly affects the other
marks, colors, and shapes. The result is often unexpected. I paint about the parts of life that we cannot see, and some
of those are dark and difficult places. Not all art is “pretty.” I see the darkness as a fruitful place
where authentic emotions lie waiting to be seen.
Through painting and drawing I am able to explore the depths of personal experience that cannot be expressed with
language. It takes courage to stay bravely in the act of making art that is intensely real. At the end of a session in
the studio I again burn some sage and cleanse the space with prayer and intention. I stop to read what is tacked on the
wall: a piece of paper that reads, “Do one thing each day that scares you!” For me that is inspiration from
God.