"The Happy Monk" Painting

Artist Statement I paint from a place of gratitude, curiosity, and an ongoing delight in everyday life. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I am surrounded by beauty, but what draws me most are the small, often overlooked moments: cozy interiors, familiar rooms, and close-up glimpses of flowers, plants, and other details encountered on daily walks. These moments rarely arrive alone. They bring stories with them. Storytelling is an essential part of my process. Each painting begins with a narrative that unfolds and builds alongside the image. Sometimes just a single line will do, other times the story is more fully imagined, but almost always it is touched by a sense of magic. These stories shape the mood of the work, guiding color, rhythm, and atmosphere as the painting takes form. My work moves between imagined interiors, near landscapes, and occasional figurative scenes, all connected by warmth, color, humor and wonder. Rooms are allowed to develop personalities and ordinary spaces become slightly enchanted. At the heart of my practice is thankfulness for the act of creating itself. I paint as a way of noticing, of participating fully and of honoring the joy found in shared moments. My hope is that each piece invites viewers to lean in and follow the joy, entering the story long enough to feel at home inside it.