Act I

Scroll and Soul: A Studio Tour Through an Artist’s Manifestos

Every brushstroke carries a whisper and every canvas a conviction.  

Each painting holds a story waiting to be seen and heard and an energy that resonates within.

Tap an image to view a process video and to unravel the deeper narratives woven into the painting.

Reclamation Series

This painting, inspired by Paul McCartney’s Blackbird, explores resilience, awakening, and transformation. A Black woman and a black bird stand in quiet dialogue, their shadows stretching across a repurposed landscape, symbolizing perseverance and rebirth. Through layered textures, symbolic florals, and the song’s sheet music, the piece merges music and visual storytelling, celebrating the strength to rise from darkness into light.

Rejoicify is a vibrant celebration of joy, inspired by Glinda from Wicked and the belief that happiness is a choice. Pink roses and red lilies intertwine, symbolizing love, perseverance, and the deep connections that sustain us, while bubbles and bluebirds evoke fleeting wonder and childlike delight. Rooted in a cherished family song, this piece is a heartfelt reminder to embrace beauty, savor the moment, and rejoice in the magic of life.

Courage, Dear Heart captures the bold beauty of rare red peonies, symbolizing strength, prosperity, and enduring love. Inspired by the Lunar New Year’s red lanterns, it radiates renewal and hope, while drifting bubbles whisper of life’s fleeting nature. Titled Courage, Dear Heart after C.S. Lewis’ words, it serves as a quiet reminder to embrace uncertainty with faith and resilience.

Send the Light is a reimagining of the classic Guardian Angel painting, blending themes of divine guidance, ascension, and inner illumination. Enhanced with sacred geometry, celestial imagery, and sheet music from my Grandmother’s hymnal, the piece invites reflection on the light within us.  It is a call to recognize our own divinity, honor our connection to one another and the earth, and awaken to the power of love and healing.

Part of my Reclamation Series, Come Count the Bluebirds with Me transforms a forgotten cityscape into a vibrant celebration of memory and joy, with abstract bluebirds in flight symbolizing life’s rhythm and fleeting beauty. Inspired by a cherished song my father wrote and often sang, The Bluebird Song, this piece honors the simple yet profound moments that shape us. Like the song, the painting is a tribute to love, nostalgia, and the importance of pausing to appreciate life’s small wonders.

The Butterfly Effect is an abstract portrayal of delicate, overlapping butterflies that symbolize my father’s spirit and the sacred connection we shared in his final days. Inspired by a profound moment in the garden before his passing, this painting reflects the idea that even the smallest presence can ripple through time, much like the Monarchs' generational migration. Just as these butterflies complete their journey across generations, so too does love endure—an eternal thread weaving through nature, memory, and the unseen rhythms of life.

Resin & Lens Series

One in Six Million ~ My mom's white peonies continue to bloom in my garden, a living symbol of her selflessness and nurturing spirit. Directly linked to the day of her leaving, they are captured in a moment of glory and grace.  They stand as a testament to the enduring beauty of a mother’s love and a reminder that nothing truly leaves us.

Captured during the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour in Knoxville on April 28, 2022, Take Me to the Pilot offers a visual study of perception and reverence, with Sir Elton John appearing almost ghostlike in the corner while a larger-than-life projection looms above. The image evokes the themes of the song—faith, surrender, and the search for guidance—capturing the transcendent energy of a shared experience that lingers long after the performance.

The Keys to the Crescent City Series captures a close-up shot of Fats Domino's piano, which was destroyed and later rescued from the rubble of Hurricane Katrina, with some of the keys stuck down, echoing the vibrant, culturally pivotal music that once flowed from it. Inspired by this magical instrument encountered in New Orleans, the series of images created from the original photo breathe new life into the piano, now haunted by the memories of the legend who brought it to life with his music, carrying the soul of the city.

The Concrete Illusion Series explores the shifting perceptions of New York City, captured from the top of Summit One Vanderbilt above Grand Central Terminal, where reality and illusion blur. Through distorted cityscapes in both color and black-and-white, the works challenge perspective and present the city as a "concrete illusion," balancing chaos and order while reflecting the tension between dreams and reality.

Le Rěve Noir du Moulin Rouge

(The Dark Dream of the Moulin Rouge)

Le Gardien du Balcon

(The Guardian of the Balcony)

The Belle Epoque Series ~ For a little taste of a time when the world was changing fast, and Paris was its glittering epicenter, step inside the Al Hirschfeld Theatre in NYC. The series invites viewers into the world of the Moulin Rouge, where the iconic windmill symbolizes the bohemian spirit and the vibrant, decadent artistry of a bygone era. Reflecting both the dreamlike fantasy and darker history of the landmark, the piece evokes the enduring legacy of the Moulin Rouge as a symbol of artistic rebellion, love, and the pursuit of freedom, while blurring the lines between myth and reality.

Shine a Little Light shows Portland Head Light, built in 1791 and perched on the rugged shores of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. It has long served as a symbol of hope, resilience, and unwavering guidance amidst the unforgiving sea. This painting captures both its steady, timeless presence and the dynamic rhythm of the surrounding energy, breathing life into the lighthouse and highlighting its role as a beacon of safety and solace through centuries of storms, both literal and metaphorical.

Mother's Day began as a casual moment, captured while I was choosing flowers at Trader Joe’s, where the vibrant blooms spilled into the parking lot in preparation for the holiday. What seemed like a fleeting decision to buy a red and pink bouquet became a profound memory, forever tied to the last Mother’s Day I’d ever buy flowers for my mom.

Thoughts and Prayers

The Weeping Angel Series was inspired by a journey to find a hidden monument to grief—the grieving angel locked within the Chapman H. Hyams mausoleum in Metairie Cemetery. After a long search through the cemetery to find her, I discovered a discrete, high-cut opening in the stained glass on the rear of the mausoleum and blindly raised my camera to capture what lay beyond. These works blend photography and paint to explore sorrow, memory, and the unseen beauty within loss.

A Moment the Water Remembers blends photography and painting to capture the majestic power of Multnomah Falls, where cascading water and mist blur the line between past and present. The iconic bridge, both a marvel and a witness to time, holds two familiar silhouettes—my husband and father-in-law—etched like ghosts in the scene. This piece is more than an image; it is a fusion of art and memory, where love and landscape intertwine.

From the hush of an airplane cabin, the city unfurls below like a living map—Manhattan stretched out in striking clarity beneath a veil of clouds. Central Park cuts a lush green swath through the gridded maze, a soft rectangle cradled by steel and stone. The East River glimmers, tracing the edge of the island like a silver thread, capturing the surreal tranquility of a moment suspended between earth and sky. From Such Great Heights the city seems serene yet humming with life - dream within a dream, glimpsed through a window and a reminder that peace can be found in the most chaotic places.