Spirit Animal Print Collection

The feeling of observing and waiting is something that I feel I do frequently. I remember when I first noticed this behavior in myself. Instead of rushing into a situation I would hold back and observe. I have a knack for reading people and power dynamics between people. I can feel it shift when someone new enters a room or someone leaves. It has helped me understand the people around me and how to navigate through life safely. That is the feeling I get from this painting. He’s survived when many others haven’t. He’s watching and learning. 

"When I was a kid we had a painting of a deer, but it was mostly brown.  This painting has the deer but also a burst of color.  It combines a feeling of nostalgia for me with energy." ~Jessica (Collector)

Spirit turtle

My husband Jed loves turtles. If we go to a zoo, there is a good chance we will spend a chunk of time visiting with them. In Miami zoo we saw Galapagos tortoises, in Charlotte we saw alligator snapping turtles, and we actually saw some while snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef (crazy!).  Jed asked if I would make a sea turtle painting with that deep blue.  Every time I worked on it made me smile because I knew he would love it. The original is hanging in his office and so many people commented how much they enjoyed it that I wanted to make prints available.

Spirit Deer

Deer are plentiful in West Virginia. Many joke that another term for I love you here is “watch out for deer”. The rhododendron is our state flower and provides a beautiful burst of color every late spring/early summer. I planted two in my backyard last year close to our memorial for my father-in-law. This is the first piece I created that I loved in the Milan Mastery Program.  It includes mark making, stencils with spray paint, and oil paint.   I feel like this piece perfectly represents who I am and what I want to create.  

 

Wisdom and Strength

To me owls always demonstrate strength.  Maybe it is due to the fact that they symbolize wisdom and the two often go together. This piece started with a fluid art layer.  A video of the first layer of this painting went viral and resulted in some of the most positive and negative comments I’ve received on the internet. I’m amused because what started as a fun and loose first layer went on to be this beautiful owl.  I think there is a strength and wisdom into not letting what people say define who you will become. Growing without the need to go back and prove to everyone that they were wrong is true strength. I really wanted to have the first layers showing through and I’m so excited I was able to make that work. Wisdom comes from all the work we do every step along the way.

Two years ago I found this picture of a kitten. Something about the head tilt and solid stance makes me want to keep looking at it. I’ve drawn it several times in my sketchbook and used it for another painting.  I started this piece with acrylic markers and inks.  One thing I really love about this painting is you can still see some of the original marks on the outline and shading on the cat.  This piece is so warm it is perfect for fall.  It would also look great with other warm colors or contrasting blue. 

Ravens are intelligent, playful, and are good planners. I asked one of my expert friends what bird reminded her of me.  She thought for a while and then told me a raven.  The more I learned about them the more I loved them. This piece would be great for seasonal decor or featured year-round.