I am a person who always worries about everything that hasn't happened yet. Throughout the process of creating this piece I reflected on the scenarios that make my life more challenging than needed. This got me thinking about the simplicity of the square. The square symbol represents structure, balance, logic, law and order. It represents the laws of nature that exist in the physical realm, and how those laws give us a sense of predictability and security. We all want life to fit inside a square. Life has structure, but structure has a different meaning for everyone.

When I was trying to define the meaning of this painting the title that spoke to me most was “Nirvana”. Nirvana is defined In Buddhism - a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. After reflecting on this piece, the final feeling was one of calm understanding of the world and ready to accept whatever comes my way.

For this painting I thought about the world and its current state and how this lock downed world has become so prevalent for us. I thought about nature and how the earth constantly has to adapt to refresh and heal. We should all take a lesson from Mother Earth now more than ever – we should all take time to immerse ourselves in this wonderful world end accept it’s natural beauty. We should all realize the importance of adapting to this new way of life, refresh our minds by going for a simple walk in the park or, appreciate the portraits that exist outside of our windows. Heal by letting go of the trivial things – hold all you love close to your heart – accept advice – ignore excuses, and most of all, do what makes you happy. Sounds simple? Yes… because it is. Thank you Mother Earth for your balance, blessing and beauty

The Path We’ve all had the looming question, where will we end up? Where is this life going to take us? What path is the right one? With each passing year these are all dominating questions in my life. I’ve always been told, reminded and reassured and to not worry so much. Things will work out the way they are supposed to. Some would call these questions a consequence of the human condition. In my life I choose to view these questions as necessary to allow optimism to appear around the corner, to acknowledge challenges in life as detours rather than dead ends. To always embrace the hue of life’s colour wheel, and always look on the bright side no matter what path we are on.

I started out with just a simple empty background of black. I began reflecting on the tangible image of a mirror and what we truly see. Once I was comfortable bringing colour in the painting, I saw that they didn't necessarily match, but they compliment each other very well. Although the pigments are broken they support each other much like we all need to do right now. Look in the mirror to see beyond the image that is in front of you. Reflect within and accept that you are one being who is able to embrace unity, love, compassion and one pigment in the colour wheel who has the power to make a difference.

“ Flowers For Mama” The amount of life and, love you manage to spread to everyone is truly amazing! To say you are an inspiration to me would be an understatement. You are always in my corner, always nurturing my creative spirit. You are ready to meet every challenge with strength and grace. No matter what life throws our way you always seem to make the best out of everything. Mama, thank you for always giving me your best- for always guiding me down life‘s path with understanding and compassion. All the while knowing full-well that I need to find my own way. For all this and many other reasons I love you

For this simple yet vibrant painting, I was inspired by the view I wake up to every morning. As I turn to look out the window my eyes always lock on the morning cloud formation, its calming gentle view always able to pull me in long enough to reflect on the simplistic beauty and optimism that my day will inevitably bring. If the expectations fall short that day it’s okay, because I know there will be a reflective morning sky waiting for me tomorrow.

Regeneration is a minimalist, subtle painting comprised of earthen tones that exude warmth, and promotes relaxation. It is inspired by the art of Devendra Banhart

For this simple yet vibrant painting, I was inspired by the view I wake up to every morning. As I turn to look out the window my eyes always lock on the morning cloud formation, its calming gentle view always able to pull me in long enough to reflect on the simplistic beauty and optimism that my day will inevitably bring. If the expectations fall short that day it’s okay, because I know there will be a reflective morning sky waiting for me tomorrow.

This is a vibrant painting of dynamic, interplaying colours that meditates on my perception of the world. This painting seeks to express the idea that no matter how chaotic things are, there are always colourful nuances and beauty present everywhere, even if hidden under the surface.

Throughout the journey of creating this I reflected on the notion of freedom and asked the question, what does freedom mean? How is it defined? Will we always be fighting for freedom or can we imagine a world where it is not earned, but rather a gift as a part of the human experience? For this abstract optimist, that is my dream.

This work is a meditation on the perpetual fog, and monotony that my life often presents. Just before the fog of cobwebs begin to consume me, I pause to look at the canvas outside my window and it allows me to shake the cobwebs and recognize that if something is that simple and beautiful , that even the fog of the daily routine can rise just like the sunlight.

For this painting the colour palette came to me in a dream. I was painting in this sunny field using dark ominous tones, until a hand presented me a new canvas, then I started creating this pallet in my dream – when I awoke I looked over at the clock, and it was”4:12″ I always try to analyze my dream and try and figure out how it relates to my life and the meaning behind them. Simply put, I think the meaning is to dilute the dark ominous tones, and paint life with bright colours, translating into positive energy!

For this painting, I was fixated on the intensity of bold colours and the inconsistency of brushstrokes. As I moved my brush around the canvas, the amber hue took over the painting. As I do with all my work, I try and channel how I am feeling in the moment, and hope that it reflects on the canvas. Feeling out of control with the current uncertainty of life burning around me, I chose to allow the “Internal Fire” to ignite the embers of creativity within me.

For this painting I was focused on the concept of being lost in a forest and having to adjust to this unknown environment. Imagine waking up in the forest, not knowing how you got there, or what path you should take. Your first reaction is panic, but after you look at the nature that is in front of you, the interplay of colours ,the vibrancy of the outdoors you realize that you can survive in this unknown habitat because you see it for its true beauty. The world today is filled with uncertainty and strange surroundings we have never seen before. However if we just stop and look around at the vibrant colours that are all around us, we can trust that we will find our way through that unfamiliar forest.

The idea behind this work was inspired by the Rainbow, and the notion that we all know the rainbow to look a certain way. The non- traditional contradictory rainbows colour scheme shows the sometimes what we believe may not be true. It challenges us to look outside the realm of possibility without discrimination or judgement.

For this minimalist work I was focused on the word gratitude and how we take for granted those around us. I know for me and the way I live my life, I have the tendency to focus and manifest scenarios in my life before they even happen. I often forget to stop and thank those who have made my life so wonderful.