This is a part of a trio of paintings that began my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

The blue and green color scheme presents feelings of calm and serenity, like floating just beneath the surface of the water.

24"x48" oil painting on masonite board.

This is a part of a trio of paintings that began my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

The black and white color scheme features a small, unexpected glimpse of red. Even a black and white painting can't get away without a pop of color to energize it, and the edges of this painting are painted a vibrant red.

24"x48" oil painting on masonite board.

This is a part of a trio of paintings that began my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

Set against a passionate red background, this painting will energize any room. Cool shadows on the branches offset the heat of the painting and create a feeling of empowerment.

24"x48" oil painting on canvas.

This is a part of a trio of paintings that continued my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

Greens and purples harken to an enchanted forest.

16"x20" oil painting on canvas.

This is a part of a trio of paintings that continued my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

I imagine these branches being illuminated in the moonlight in some tropical location. 

16"x20" oil painting on canvas.

This painting continues my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

This is painted from a low perspective and seems to mimic the forms of a coral reef.

16"x20" oil paint on canvas.

This painting continues my Tree Series. All paintings in this series are painted using the same Manzanita branches for reference. There are so many unique compositions in these branches that any change of viewpoint brought a new and interesting challenge.

This painting is sure to energize any room.

16"x20" oil paint on canvas.

The night air was crisp, but pleasant, as we stepped through the restaurant doors to the cobblestone streets. The hour was late, and the magical energy of a foreign place emptied of its daily tourists enveloped us. The hustle and bustle familiar to the Sacré-Cœur had dissipated hours before, and now we strolled in the echo of its past. From somewhere, the melodies of an accordion wafted through the air, bouncing from the stones, as if the cathedral itself were humming its favorite tune. We were its only companions in that moment. From around the corner, an old car puttered up the road and in that split moment, I wondered if we really had taken a step back in time.

This romantic oil painting was painted from a photo I barely had time to snap of the moment I described above. I hope it transports you, too, to that very special moment in time.

11”x15” oil on canvas.

It was on a day trip in Lake Como, Italy, walking up the street to Villa Balbianello (Nerd alert: for Star Wars fans, that's the shooting location of Anakin and Padme's wedding on Naboo in Episode II), where this parked Vespa caught my eye. Perched on the back of it was a bright red box. Surely as a means for carrying personal belongings along on the ride, but something about its hue gave it character and captured my imagination. What sort of treasure must be transported in such a whimsical trunk?

I suppose we'll never know.

20"x16" acrylic paint on canvas

I was lucky enough to study art in Malibu, California. Outside my dorm room there was a rolling hill with the most luxurious grass I have ever seen. And on the top of that hill was this amazing tree. In the spring time it burst full of the most wonderful white flowers. I admired it every day as I walked to class, and it never failed to lift my spirits and bring me a sense of calm, even in the midst of some of my most stressful days. Perhaps it can do the same for you.

36"x36" oil on canvas

This painting conveys the hustle and bustle of life in the windy city, people making their way through life under regal watch of towering giants, skyscrapers dwarfing their creators. The rain reflects from the pavement, suggesting a previous rain storm, but blue sky peeks through above, signaling that we've made it through the weather. The sun is coming out and the storm is passing, it's going to be a beautiful day.

This painting was painted in a period of healing after a major back surgery, when I was pulling through my own personal storm. Looking back I can see why I was drawn to this image, imbued with hopeful symbolism that the worst was over and better times were to come.

 Painted in acrylic with gold accents, the edges of the canvas are painted gold as well so this can be hung with or without a frame.

24"x36" acrylic on canvas. Canvas 1" depth. 

This is a painting that started on an airplane as an absent-minded doodle on the back of a receipt, inspired by a recent visit to France. Instead of tossing the receipt, I decided I liked the image enough to paint it a little bigger. So I did. This is an example of a fluid process, without being reigned in by any reference images. It's the flow from subconscious lines being worked into forms and becoming a shape, then colors adding life, and voila! A fun, finished product.

In case you're wondering, I do in fact still have that original receipt doodle, taped into the page of a sketchbook.

24"x36" mixed media on 1" canvas.

This piece was inspired by the many brooks, creeks, streams, and waterfalls that can be found when wandering through Oregon forests. There is something magical about time spent in the forest. So much life, so many strange new things to discover. There is such abundance, but no vanity despite the beauty. Such peace and coexistence.

24” x 36” mixed media on canvas.

My sister and I went on a trip to London to see Hamlet, and the evening we decided to ride the London Eye we were fortunate enough to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets over the River Thames. 

This is my impression of the beautiful yellow clouds reflecting gorgeous colors across the water, Big Ben keeping watch. 

11"x 14" oil on canvas.

In Cinque Terre, Italy you can hike from one city to the next, along fantastic mountains with sheer drop to the mediterranean below. The view is breathtaking. On a hike from Monterosso to Vernazza, there are random doors that appear along the cliff face. Doors that seemingly lead to another dimension, for who knows what lies beyond. They're easy to pass by, but I couldn't help but wonder what it's like to be on the other side. Or perhaps it was I who was on the other side, and they were wondering what it was like to be me.

16"x20" acrylic on canvas.

The first time I saw the Eiffel tower, I was traveling with my two sisters in the dead of winter. It was bitingly cold as we braved the freezing rain to see the lights twinkle at dusk. But it was worth every second.

I painted this from mere memory, drawing from nostalgia of walking the wintry Paris streets past souvenir shops and cafes.

20"x16" oil painting on canvas.

I have an affinity for the way these colors push and pull on each other - there’s something inherently kinetic about it. A passionate abstract painting that will energize any space.

12” x 12” oil on stretched canvas.

This statement abstract painting will add an energetic, modern pop of color to any room. Reminiscent of lamplight on a foggy night, a candle in the dark, a spotlight in the city... vibrant but warm. 

36" x 36" oil on canvas. 2" deep.

Sometimes when it rains, it pours. This original oil painting suggests the image of a woman walking through the rain under cover of umbrella.

36" x 48" oil on canvas.

"Cinema is a mirror by which we often see ourselves... Cinema is universal, beyond flags and borders and passports." - Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu.

This grunge-style painting celebrates a love for cinema, and a fascination in the way art imitates life imitates art. Art tells stories, and stories connect us, open our minds to a new perspective, strip us of our preconceptions, remind us of our own humanity, assure us that we are not alone. Stories give us a reason to laugh, to cry, to reflect, to pray, to act, to argue, to agree, to feel... to be human.

This is the power of cinema. This is the reason I love movies. 

10" x 30" x 1.5" mixed media on cradled canvas.

This piece was inspired by the cool feelings of the Pacific Northwest where forest meets water under a blanket of clouds. 

Oil on canvas, 8"x10"

This piece was a botched painting that I reworked into an abstract painting, and I'm quite fond of the result. As I painted this I was working through a period of post-grad anxiety - searching for peace to wash over the worries of the future.

This painting goes to show that if at first you don't succeed, it's never too late to give it another try, perhaps in a different way. You never know what new and beautiful thing you might end up with.

Oil on canvas, 18"x24"