Swans

This was a gift for an ex—kind of. We went on a date to the koi pond at Hahn Horticulture Garden, and I was inspired to paint this. It was my first time trying to date seriously, and I did everything “right,” waiting for feelings to show up. They didn’t. He didn’t. I let him…

I started this piece knowing I wanted a gathering—ducks, geese, something with glow and contrast and a little chaos, and ended up being one of my happiest pieces. It took years. I kept adding details, then pulling them back, chasing a feeling I couldn’t quite name. Eventually, it clicked: the lineup felt alive, like they…

I wanted this piece to feel like a quiet pause… Poppies have a long history of symbolizing remembrance, especially in Europe, and I leaned into that while painting. The figure stands alone in the field, hair blown across the face, eyes hidden. It’s a moment of stillness—just you, the wind, and the red. I felt…

I painted this in one sitting—six hours straight—as a birthday gift for my mom. It began with a monochromatic reference, but the colors didn’t stay quiet. They surged forward, unexpected and insistent, like they had their own momentum. It felt less like I was choosing them and more like they were choosing me. This was…

This cow made me smile the second I saw it, and I kept smiling the entire time I painted it. I wanted something that felt jolly and ridiculous in the best way—so I leaned into the exaggerated perspective, pushed the colors brighter, and gave the snoot all the wet, shiny detail it deserved. The curls…

I painted this while working through a lot of emotion—feeling lost and frustrated. Her gaze carries that weight. She might be looking at you, or just past you, and it’s up to the viewer to decide what she’s thinking. Peaceful? Sad? Something in between? This was an experiment in light and contrast—chiaroscuro with loose, impressionistic…