Tales From the Tannenbaum, Part One

Part One of a not-so-serious series featuring brief autobiographies of christmas ornaments. This is one grumpy cat. Or penguin. He’s mad because he’s hanging on this tree in a Santa suit instead of eating kitty kibble…or krill? His arms…or flippers…can’t reach the other branches or ornaments. He’s suspended in the air, hanging vulnerably in the […]

Flying Dry

In the waves of dysfunction, I am stepping out. This thought came to me this morning as I thought about the journey of my own life and the journeys of others. Often we have to watch our loved ones struggle through turmoil and heartbreak: being witness to the unsettling dilemma of knowing when to speak […]

Under the Ferns

The trees whisper to me I know what you think. The ground sings I know how you feel. The air believes it knows what I need. When I empty my mind I hear music. It is the song of my ancestors ever reminding me that I am never alone.

Totem

According to Wikipedia, a totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, lineage, or tribe. Growing up, our Christmas Tree was our totem. It held ornaments that symbolized many things: family, love, loss, friendship, youth, charity, teamwork, hobbies, humor, art, and […]

Triumph

Cancer sucks. And yet, cancer has taught me a lot about everything: mostly to be grateful for simple things… and that there is a lot about life that just doesn’t matter as much as we think it does. In the life of someone struggling with cancer, being grateful is something that happens every day, not […]

Duck

I think every new artist thinks about creating a style all their own. How do I stand out from every other artist out there? How do I not be cliche? How do I convey a message that only the viewer can decode? Being a new artist, I had no idea where to begin. I knew […]

Neptune

This sculpture is hanging on the wall outside the Yaquina Head Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. It was not a nice day at the beach, which isn’t unusual. With a little manipulation from Snapseed, I was able to capture light and make this photo brighter and more bold. To me, the sculpture shows the power […]

Backspace

Believe it or not, this is simply a photo of bathroom graffiti. There is a bar/music venue space in downtown Portland called Backspace. I was there to watch a showing of Faces in the Mirror, an independent film by Boyd Tinsley. Who is Boyd Tinsley? He is the incredible violinist that you hear rocking with […]

Imperfect

Yoga today…fabulous as usual. Not always do we do a mantra or a chant. Not always do we do a meditation. This is what I love about kundalini and kriya – it’s different every time. There are so many different sets for moving energy that I have yet to repeat one in the 8 months […]

Emergence

I started this piece just working textures and background. I loved the deep colors. I feel like deep texture and deep colors invoke deep thought. I had wanted to add form the picture and hadn’t come up with anything that felt right. One night, as I worked the surface, it occurred to me that maybe I […]