Gratitude Painting

My desire to create has been a lifelong passion to give physical expression to my imagination. My primary intention as an artist is to create works that evoke an awareness of the transcendent and to express something of the mystery and wonder that envelopes us. Appreciating and making art have given me much joy that I wish to share. I find inspiration in many things from Nature to the visions of the inner eye. My creative process is a balance between intuition and technique and I remain open to change and transformation until the unique presence or inner radiance within each painting is revealed. I have a life-long reverence for world cultures, particularly indigenous cultures that have maintained a strong spiritual connection with their environment. My interest in a diversity of peoples, their experience, and practices has affected my art in different ways through the years. Influenced by the sand paintings of the Navajo and Tibetan Buddhist mandalas, I began incorporating sand into my work. It enhances the tactile presence of the work and creates a subtle interplay of light and shadow. Sand is symbolic to me personally for its various associations with healing rituals and meditation, the desert, and the ocean. I have no specific message to convey, but see art as a mirror reflecting the soul. I offer each painting as an invitation to discovery, wherein each viewer is encouraged to find truth in their own experience. My paintings might be considered meditations, creative prayers, or offerings of peace. The devotion and attention given to each creation may be experienced in the open heart of the viewer.