Fine Art
When I feel detached from myself and what I love to do, I paint. This is definitely the sort of thing I’ll work on through my whole life and probably never be finished with, and that’s okay. Plein air painting for me is definitely 90% about the process, 10% about the result. Every time I do it, it alters how I think about art, and what I’m trying to do with it in a personal and commercial sense. Those studies and realizations then feed into my more refined fine art and how I approach things like the tree ladies from my Arbor Gala line. Those are a celebration of nature, too. How the leaves grow and fall. Scroll to see my original poem that inspired the series! Mostly, I think that impressionistic painting is one of the most pure forms of art; trying to capture not just the existing shapes of what is seen, but what is felt and perceived beyond the eyes. I look forward to continuing to develop that particular muscle.
Elk Resting in the Winter Sun, oils 2025
Haystack Rock After the Rain. It was a dreary, lovely day... Painted in oil
Elk Print in the Sand, oils 2025
Jan's Books. A small downtown shop that sells used books and art by local creators. Painted in oils
Red Sun Rising. This was painted during the worst of the 2021 Oregon fires. The sun was a violent hue that I've yet to capture, but the smoke is pretty on point. Painted in oil
Mount Saint Helens as seen from Washington Park in Portland, Oregon. When the skies are clear, viewers can see Helens, Hood, Adams, and rumor has it, even Rainier. Though on hazy, smoky days like the one on which this was painted, only the top of St Helens is visible. Painted in oil
Viewpoint Above Rockaway Beach. A plein air study of the Oregon Coast, painted in oil
Summer Nites. An acrylic paint pour experiment
Summer Dayz. An acrylic paint pour experiment
The Arbor Gala
Arbor Gala; my celebration of nature and her occasional delicate femininity. “Look at that naked tree” one might say in autumn, noting the trees shedding their leaves for the season. I couldn’t help but ride that train of thought, taking the scenic route. Part simple beauty, part hidden figures, these tree ladies embody different arborist forms, done entirely in watercolor paints. As it stands, we have a rough representation of each season, and I hope to continue this series to celebrate different kinds of trees and the spirit they hold within their bark and branches. The first image contains the poem I wrote that inspired the series, and when you purchase a print, you get a tea-stained copy of it. Visit the shop to see these in print and sticker form, and enjoy the gallery!
Welcome to the Arbor Gala Inspiration Poem
Blossom; a celebration of spring awakening
Evergreen; a celebration of summer
Wisteria; a celebration of a cool fall
Winter; a celebration of the cold season manifesting in full, bidding farewell to fall