from darkness, beauty arises > landscapes

2021
wave study
mixed media watercolor
5"x3"
2020
watercolor, colored pencil and acrylic mixed to make double waves ready to splash in
mixed media watercolor
4"x4"
2020
small watercolor and ink painting of a cloudy sky and slightly choppy beach
mixed media ink on paper
5"x5"
2020
2020
2020
2020

Over and over, I learn that I create things because I know who I am when I do.

At first, I thought that learning watercolor and painting flowers and landscapes was only about learning something new and making something that centers beauty. And that is inherently a part of this work.

But this process has also been about taking this to the things that are impacting most currently. I'm in trauma recovery. So much about that experience is not just about getting to the next moment, but also about finding myself in those moments. I am so much more than someone who experienced trauma. I am more than someone recovering from those injuries.

Healing is not about regaining something. It is about creating something new. I have to constantly keep trying new things, allowing myself to unlearn old ideas, and have new experiences in order to do that healing. The creative process feels much the same. I learn and grow in order to create new things in my studio.
The work here is where art and transformation meet.