Current Portfolio
I'm currently working on a series of paintings inspired by native Iowa woodlands and prairie. My intent is to raise awareness about rewilding and the importance of planting native plants. To learn more visit my blog.
 She Sleeps till Spring. Pollen wake her, pollen keep her, held in a bumblebee's embrace. Until, like a tender bud, she opens, her body the blossom, her heart the seed. |  |  |
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 How does one go about putting together the scattered pieces of a self so long divided? Wholeness. Growth. Like roots pulled from the land, only the taste of soil remains. There will never be a return to that which is lost. Unearth our own bones, shed our self-skin, plant a prairie within, and fade into flower and leaf.
Prairie restoration is not only about rebuilding a lost ecosystem, but about re-evaluating our connection and consumption of the land that is our home. Many besides us call this |  |  |
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 |  Guarded by bees she slept through the winter until she found her spring. Spring arose from a tiny seed held close in the darkness of earth. Held close in the darkness of heart. Sweet as bee pollen, she found she was more than a flower. She was the root. |  |
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 ~Buried in earth. Buried under voices and thoughts for so long. A winter of the soul. When outward seeking ends, and bitter voices fade, and you are finally still, you may find it. The root light, the green glow, the oak spark, the wild self. |  ~ Magic is found in the everyday. Like the nest of a hummingbird, built of milkweed, dandelion fluff and spider silk. It cradles eggs the size of jellybeans, and stretches as the nestlings grow. |  She was not the flower, but the fruit. Not the petals, but the root. |
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 |  |  ~She traded her crown of flowers for one of stone. Her will become iron, her softness hidden away. For she had learned that to settle, was to slowly lose herself. |
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 |  mixed media. Available |  Truths are told among the thorns. The time has come for lasts year’s growth to bear the fruit of winter’s dreaming. Beckoning from the brambles, leading you from the path, a fractured flutter. A faerie promise. She whispers from the floricanes.
I find it fittingly poignant that wild black raspberries only bear fruit on the canes that grew the previous year. The brambles that appear withered and dried, are in fact only sleeping. This is often true in our own lives when we find that moment after |
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 The reflection upon dark river, where light kissed the water was full of longing. As if she could reach out her hand, reach through water and space and cradle that which called to her. |  "If you'll be my star, I'll be your sky
You can hide underneath me and come out at night
When I turn jet black, And you show off your light. I live to let you shine"
~ Gregory and the Hawk
These rare creatures are most likely glimpsed on nights where a full moon graces the sky. They absorb energy from the moon's light with the gems upon their foreheads. Little is known about Moon Owls, since like many faerie creatures they seem to have disappeared from the night sky. |  Listen dear heart, to the chitter of sparrows, the cooing of morning doves, the swell of the red-wing black bird. Listen, but do not forget yourself.
Acrylic mixed media on wood panel. 14"x 18" |
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 Faerie ring, the rising spring. Come away, come away. Through the forest deep, where spirits sleep and music bids me wander. Available |  In the Eldritch Wood, there is a grove of willows. Leaves so lovely, like weeping snow, reach to kiss the ground. It is a hidden place, where owls roost and fairy lights twinkle amid the tall grass. This grove is a place of healing for all who stumble upon it. Come and rest awhile. The whisper of leaves sings a song of healing and the soft grass beckons you to dream. Available |  This painting was inspired by the folktales surrounding ash trees and the idea of transitions. The ash tree is often a called a faerie tree because it represents transition and is considered a portal to the land of the fair folk.
The idea of the tree as a point of transition inspired me to use a variety of media to create this painting. I use textural, as well as a seasonal transitions to explore this theme. Paired with images of the standing stones, and faerie lights, I hope to create a moment |
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 Alcohol Inks |  ~The promise of starlight, following firefly flickers. Will we cross the bridge of dreams together? Inspired by old, enchanted forests. |  Draconia Lepidoptera is one of the smallest surviving dragons. She is often mistaken for a butterfly because of her delicate iridescent wings. Draconia Lepidoptera are quite rare, as they require a large amount of nectar. Along with other pollinators, they too suffer from habitat loss. But plant a bed of spring blooms and native flowers and you may see the glint of scales and flash of wings that means your very own butterfly dragon has made its home in your garden. |
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 A frequent visitor of gardens, and sunny meadows, Draconia Lepidoptera is one of the smallest surviving dragons. She is often mistaken for a butterfly because of her delicate wings. Draconia Lepidoptera are quite rare, as they require a large amount of nectar. Along with other pollinators, they too suffer from habitat loss. But plant a bed of spring blooms and native flowers and you may see the glint of scales and flash of wings that means your very own butterfly dragon is in your garden. |  To be fleeting, mercurial, fae. To burn bright as silver, warm as summer, but in a moment gone. What are some things you find beautiful, but fleeting?
I wanted to capture the vibrancy of the dragonfly in this painting. I used lots of metallic paints, and added the crackling edges to echo the patterns of a dragonfly's wing, while also touching on the idea of entropy. |  The spirit of winter came to visit and it took the form of a large bear. Winter was gentle, and took the child riding upon its back and together they saw many sights overlooked by most. Castles of ice crystals, mosaics of frost. They explored weaving tunnels dug by arctic mice, and tasted the freshness of sugar snow. Then Winter held the child tight, sheltered from the bitter wind and set the child gently dreaming back |
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 This painting was inspired by my cousin Pinky Hernandez I call her Angel de Puerto Rico. I'm sure you've heard about the devastation following Hurricane Maria. The Island is still without power and 3.5 million of our people need help. I've been working on fundraising with prints of this painting. I'm donating 85% of each print to the Hispanic Federations Unidos fund for Puerto Rico. |  This is the first painting in a new series that focuses on pushing the elements of mixed media further than I have in the past. The objective is to create a piece that embodies a theme or idea by using both painted imagery and actual objects. Believe is about the need to create and how personal belief in yourself is necessary to grow. |  |
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 Reminiscent of all things dreamy and fleeting. I sought to capture the moments of hope found after just waking, whether it be from a daydream or from sleep. Media used includes acrylic paint, cardboard, jewelry, small pearl gems, papers and more. |  She remembered dancing under stars, and dew stained toes, and doe eyed looks. Each maiden wore an ivy crown each fairy fair, a mask of gold. 8x10" |
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