This new collection, titled 'Starting Over,' is a reminder to be thankful for the opportunity to start over, to be mindful, full of gratitude, and to live in the present.
Charleston’s colorful homes and gardens inspire the color palette, but the subject matter is the beauty of nature around us.
It was inspired by a previous collection called ‘Play’ that I painted after a significant loss. I needed to take care of myself, relax, and learn how to play again. This journey is reflected in each stroke of the ‘Starting Over’ collection.
I’m finally settled in my new city, with a new home and a new studio. I’m focusing on the future while living in the present and drawing inspiration from my new surroundings.
Charleston is full of history, some good, some not so good. But it’s so beautiful - full of palm trees, colorful architecture, and vibrant culture.
This color palette is inspired by the colorful historic homes and the beautiful gardens of Charleston, but sometimes, I need something tactical to work with. I kept thinking about how to paint a piece for my studio. This lovely fabric on the pillow in my studio reminds me of a beautiful Japanese garden.
So, crazy artist-brain, but the ideas come from everywhere!
Stop thinking that skies must be blue and grass must be green.
As a child, I would color in my coloring books with unusual color combinations.
No surprise there, right?
I remember my mom asking me why I colored the trees turquoise and magenta. Although I probably didn’t even know what those colors were unless their names were written on the crayons in my box of 64 with the pencil sharpener.
This work features a bright ‘sunshiney’ sky with a shimmering body of water in the distance. In mint, of all colors! I am inspired by Charleston’s vibrant and colorful houses and the gardens that come to life in spring, a reminder of optimism, renewal, and hope.
The title is a reminder to focus on what’s important and what matters. This collection is available via my website.
