Yay for Birthdays

In 2013, I started to make art again after a 12 year hiatus. I started small, with 5 small pieces of art, every week for one year ­— and that became The 5/52 Project. Later that year, I purchased my domain name. It was a birthday gift to myself and an investment in my creative future. So, today I turn 42 and my website turns 8! (cue the confetti!)

week 40 colored pencil and acrylic on vintage photographs, 2014

It is amazing to look back and see how many of these elements that started my practice are still rooted in the work that I make now. I am still in love with color and its ability to conjure emotion and heart. I am still fascinated by photography and all the ways it shows us a point in time from a unique perspective. I still love projects and parameters to help shape my creative energy, and also enjoy a sense of playful experimentation in my practice. I am in awe of the creativity and endless beauty in nature and often seek its guidance in trusting the cycles of the earth.

Pick Me Up, mural Buffalo, NY, 2019

This past year, I have been tending to my literal and figurative garden – planting things, tending the soil, watering, and patiently waiting. I would never have imagined that the brushes I bought to learn painting and color theory in college would be used to paint giant murals 20 years later. Or that I would be following in the steps of many of my family members, embracing entrepreneurship and learning about the business that makes the art I love work.

I spend a lot of time thinking about an art filled future and planning what technique or strategy I want to learn next... What can I do better? I rarely take the time to look back at how far I have come. I've taken the scenic route or been detoured many times along this creative path, but have always found my way back to the road that calls me to create and share the wonders that I see.

Sending lots of love from me to you. I hope that the work I create brightens your days and offers a sense of optimism in this crazy world. I'm feeling so grateful for another trip around the sun and the ability to watch the seeds I am planting bloom in due time.

Thank you for supporting me in this artistic adventure – it is a gift and means so much to me!

160' – My Latest Mural!

This month was consumed by painting a 160 foot long mural – my biggest mural yet!

The project is a "Welcome to the Hydraulics District" mural located at 550 Seneca Street in Buffalo, NY. I was awarded the project by applying to an open call through Arts Services Initiative. The project was originally scheduled for installation in 2020, but was postponed last summer due to Covid. My concept was to create a welcoming wall with patterns and lettering stemming directly from a publication historically published by the Larkin Soap Company, The Larkin Idea.

The Larkin Soap Company, was a company founded in 1875 in Buffalo, NY as a small soap factory. It grew tremendously throughout the late 1800s and into the first quarter of the 1900s with an approach called The Larkin Idea that transformed the company into a mail-order conglomerate that employed 2,000 people and had annual sales of $28.6 million (equivalent to $369,472,000 in 2020) in 1920. The company's success allowed them to hire Frank Lloyd Wright to design the iconic Larkin Administration Building which stood as a symbol of Larkin prosperity until the company's demise in the 1940s. (Adapted from Wikipedia)

This area of Buffalo has changed drastically since we moved here in 2014 and my mural adds a bright pop of color to the industrial neighborhood. Here are a few photo highlights of from my eight days of painting. I learned to drive a big boom lift, which felt pretty awesome and Silas gave me a tiny felt cat that he made as a good luck charm while I was working.

I wrapped this up last week and still need to get back to shoot some images of the finished piece, but it was fun to see people using the wall as a backdrop for fun photos as I was finishing up. It was two years ago that I painted my first mural, and since that time the leap from small works on paper made in my studio to painting big walls out in public has felt massive. Big murals are a ton of work, but bring me such a sense of joy and fulfillment. I am so grateful that I can do this work!

Studio Sale 🎉

It is a crazy milestone to think that we have been in this pandemic for a whole year. Last March, I spent 7 days at a residency at Drop Forge & Tool – time that I used to dream for the year ahead. Things were getting very uneasy (and the toilet paper was disappearing off of the shelves) as I drove back from Hudson to Buffalo. Thankfully, we seem to be headed in the right direction with vaccines. Spring is in the air, and the bulbs I planted last year are about to start blooming. I'm hopeful that we will be able to get together again in person very soon!

The one year anniversary of this pandemic feels like such an appropriate time to let some of the Wish You Were Here series find new homes. The series was born in my Mother-in-law's kitchen and are rooted in connection, curiosity and wonder. I've also included many sketches from past collections that are all tied to themes of growth and renewal.

Check out the updated shop – there is a painterly sunset in Hot Springs, Arkansas; a rainbow in Glacier National Park; a dreamy river nestled in the Columbia River Highway in Oregon, and a solid as a rock giant rainbow in Yellowstone National Park. See if any special places resonate with you. Each piece includes a neutral frame, so they are ready to hang on the wall. They are like mini vacations you can visit anytime!

I also have one single pair of beautiful earrings that were alternates to the ones I made for the holidays. Take a look and see what treasures are waiting for you. Thanks as always for supporting me on this creative journey. I can't wait to dive into some new works in the coming months.

Family Promise Mural

Happy New Year and Happy Friday! I hope this finds you well. As we move forward from last year, with all its uncertainties and the time apart, I've been thinking a lot about the space between... the calm and the clouds, the light and the dark. This is the place where (when conditions are just right) the rainbow happens and where we gain new perspectives and rays of colorful wisdom.

I'm entering 2021 feeling even more grateful for all I have... the big and the small. For each breath and hug. For the ability to be creative and make things. The year ended with the beautiful opportunity to create an optimistic mural at Family Promise of WNY. I loved the time I was able to spend with the kids there and I'm so thankful that this organization exists in our community. The little girl below decided she was my supervisor on the project and encouraged me each day. So sweet! ❤️

I spent much of last year working on my creative business... way more time doing the left brain work than creative work! Those steps, like establishing an LLC, have laid the groundwork for me to focus on making this year and I’m very excited about that! We are spending the Buffalo winter hibernating and I am happily diving in to the studio to play. I have a big list of projects that I can't wait to dig in to. I also have two mural projects lined up for this year and am interested in adding a few more... reach out if you have a wall to paint!

Still TBD if I will jump on board for this year's 100 Day Project, which starts at the end of January. I'm planning to reach out a little more frequently and send a monthly newsletter in 2021 so I'll let you know in a few weeks! I'll be posting about it on instagram, I'm sure.