First real rain in months! 
We took a walk to the creek just to soak it in—the sound, the smell, the rush of water we haven’t seen in so long. What’s your favorite thing about that first big rain after a dry spell?

This was not a law enforcement raid, it was a military attack on our own citizens. Can you see it now? Or will it have to get worse? Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/01/u...

Collector’s choice! Butterfly Collection #22 (Eighty-eight butterfly) has officially SOLD! 
I love seeing these one-of-a-kind pieces find their forever homes. If you’ve been eyeing a butterfly from the series, now’s the time—each piece is unique and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

It’s supposed to be about love. So help me figure out how to respond to all of this with love….

What does it really mean to walk with grace? For me, it looks like staying rooted, growing in the right direction, and finding guidance along the way. Those ideas inspired “Living from Grace” Photo transfers, acrylics, color pencil & ephemera on canvas
36x48” | $3600

“Using Kirk’s knack for vigorous argument to excuse the re-emergence of unabashed bigotry in mainstream politics feels both frightening and perilous.” Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/28/m...

It’s called a common checkered skipper—though there’s nothing “common” about it. With a wingspan just over an inch, its tiny jeweled body glimmers as it sips nectar from garden flowers. I see every tiny creature as the miracle it is. These small wonders are what bring me hope and healing.

Silent Auction Now Open! Even in the desert, roots reach deep enough to bear fruit. At Manzanar, where Japanese Americans were once unjustly imprisoned, I found fruit trees—untended for decades—still standing, still bearing. They embody resilience, dignity, & the will to flourish despite hardship.

My new series, Dissonance, is built around contrasts—dead and living birds layered over scriptures from the Sermon on the Mount. The imagery holds tension, much like the world we live in, where beauty and brokenness exist side by side.

What a weekend! 
Huge thanks to everyone who stopped by during Sac Open Studios—whether you purchased art, joined my demo, or just came to hang out, you made it such a joyful experience. I’m thrilled to share that Entomology #7 (Lantern Fly) has found its new home!

Escape the craziness of the world by retreating into art.
 Find me at THIS WEEKEND Sep 20–21, 10–5 Sac Open Studios, Studio 218 (Oak Park)
Online guide at sacopenstudios.com Free gift with every purchase this weekend (in person or online

One of a kind. Only $95. “All You Need” — an anatomical heart filled with leaves, a nest, and butterflies — is ready to find its forever home. Original mixed media, 8x6” on wood panel.
 Sac Open Studios, Studio 218 (Oak Park)
Sep 20–21, 10–5

Reality vs. retreating - wheee are you on the spectrum right now? Come find me on the Sac Open Studios Tour this weekend and let me know… #sacramentoart #sacramentoartist

“Trump and his allies seem to want to shut down speech that they don’t like to hear,”...“That is not what democracies do. That is what autocracies do. And it doesn’t matter whether you agree with Kimmel or not, he has the right to free speech.” Welcome to the Fascist States of America. Gift article.

Where will your imagination take you? 
“Traveler’s Delight #1” is created on a vintage map, inviting you to journey beyond the ordinary. Come see it in person during Sac Open Studios this weekend—Sat & Sun, Sep 20–21, 10–5 at Studio 218 in Oak Park.

Trying to white wash U.S. history is shameful, not patriotic. I love my country, which is why I yearn for us to do better. Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

I’ll be doing a demo on Sat at 11am! Join me for Sac Open Studios this weekend Sep 20/21, 10-5. Location 218 in Oak Park with Linda Clark Johnson & Ziva Shayna Design Company #sacramentoartist #sacramentoart #artwithmeaning #hopeandhealing

There’s no place like home. This deeply personal piece, “No Place Like It” (12 x 5.5 x 5”), carries maps from places I’ve lived, layered with transfers, ephemera & dried twigs. See it at Sac Open Studios next weekend! Studio 218, Sept 20–21, 10–5

Can you find my artwork here? Hours of friends, fun & art in one minute - the 20th anniversary of Sac Open Studios! Wknd 1: Sep 13-14, 10am-5pm Wknd 2: Sep 20-21, 10am-5pm Find me at Studio 218 in Oak Park Wknd 2 #sacramentoartist #sacramentoart

Ever feel like you’re on the fence, caught between stillness and possibility? 
Meet Fence Sitter, one of my newest experimental pieces: a tea-toned cyanotype with photo transfers, where a lone lizard is surrounded by delicate insects, inviting you to notice the quiet intricacies of nature.

“This is a moment to turn down the volume and reflect on our political culture. It is a moment for restraint, rather than cycles of vengeance or the suspension of civil liberties, as some urged on Wednesday. It is also a moment to engage with people who have different views...” Gift article.

Ever notice how shifting your perspective can completely change what you see? In art - and in life - sometimes the magic happens when we step back, tilt our head, or look from above. What’s one area of your life where you could use a fresh perspective today? Share in the comments - I’d love to hear!

Of course we all want to be healthy. Just be careful what voices you listen to. Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription.

I am pleased to announce that “Emerald Bay” will be part of the annual art auction supporting Artisan Mind, which provides art enrichment programs for those living with Alzheimer’s, cognitive and physical challenges. I couldn’t be more proud to be able to support them with my art. #hopeandhealing

We all need a little affection sometimes. Ginty doesn’t always want to be touched, but she still needs connection some times. I know some people like that, too… Let’s all give a little extra grace to others especially when so many of us are feeling so frazzled. #parsonrussellterrier #hopeandhealing

Meet the Black Prince 
With chocolate-toned rosettes and the occasional crown of red blooms, this echeveria is the royal greeter by my front door. In this piece, he’s attended by a painted lady butterfly—graceful and courtly, as if paying homage to his quiet majesty. .

We need a true moderate response - not only a push to get more money back into the hands that create it (the workers, not the CEO’s) but also a shift to an emphasis on the power of each individual to work responsibly toward the common good. Gift article.

DM me with your postal address and I’ll put one of these in the mail for you! Because who doesn’t like fun things in their mailbox? #postcard #artcard

Nature has its own language… are you listening? Botanical Echoes #1 is a conversation between flowers, vintage pages, and the quiet flutter of a butterfly, where memory and nature overlap. Photo transfer on vintage book page, mounted on cradled wood panel
8x10” | $325

Missed the first Flourish Gathering?
Whether you live too far from Roseville or the timing just didn’t work out—good news! You’ve got another chance to Reclaim Your Calm. Join us for an encore online Flourish Gathering
Tuesday, Sept 9
6–8 pm PST Comment FLOURISH or send me a DM for details!

Thank you to everyone who works so hard and still struggles to make ends meet. I forgot to mention food service workers and those in retail, & probably some others. The most frustrating part is that many of these underpaid workers are employed by corporations with CEOs that are grossly overpaid.

This firefighter arrived in the US at age 4, has been here for 19 years, was on track to legal status, and was on a crew trying to contain a major blaze (in Washington state, vs Oregon, fwiw.) h/t @joshuajfriedman.com www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Butterflies are God’s confetti, thrown upon the Earth in celebration of His love.” K. D’Angelo Unfailing Love - a reminder that beauty & love are always present, even in uncertain times. 10x10” mixed media on wood, $400 #hopeandhealing #healingart

I don’t know about you, but now more than ever, I need to take nice long breaks out in nature, just to help me maintain my sanity. We can do this friends. #hopeandhealing

I think he’s on to something here. Explore this gift article from The New York Times. You can read it for free without a subscription. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/o...

Summer never really leaves us, it lingers in the glow of yarrow leaves, the shimmer of beetle wings, the hum of life in full bloom. “Summer Dream” captures that fleeting magic. 6x8” tea-toned cyanotype + photo transfers on cradled wood panel, $225

It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing, I rarely know exactly what I’m doing, whether it’s art, parenting, or standing up to injustice. But clarity isn’t a prerequisite for action. We can figure it out as we go - together. #hopeforthefuture #hopeandhealing

“America’s slide into authoritarianism is reversible. But no one has ever defeated autocracy from the sidelines.” Free gift article.

Life is full of strange combinations, sometimes surreal, sometimes tender. Be Still #107 draws from the quiet curiosity of specimen drawers, inviting us to pause & wonder at what emerges when the unexpected comes together. 5x7” | $175

“We affirm that Hamas’s sins and crimes do not relieve the government of Israel of its obligations to make whatever efforts are necessary to prevent mass starvation,” the letter said. Obviously, being critical of Israeli governmental actions in not necessarily anti-Semitic. Free gift article.

Who says cats get all the naps? Ginty says just be chill… Seriously, self care is so important right now. Happy National Dog Day. #parsonrussellterrier #hopeandhealing

From Farm Life to Fine Art Meet Billy. This skull once belonged to a happy goat who roamed a local farm, and when his story came to an end, he found a second life through art. In Memory of Billy is a photo transfer on vintage map, layered with natural textures and symbols of resilience.

This virus is beginning to resolve but the threat to our democracy is just winding up. Let’s counter it by coming together in community & using creativity to help us move forward.

Even in the midst of chaos, there are glimpses of beauty that remind us what it means to be alive. A butterfly’s wings, a pressed leaf, a fleeting pause, we savor these fragile moments & they carry us through.

“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public...”

I’m so looking forward to our first Flourish Gathering next week, here’s why: 1️⃣ Space to slow down, breathe & focus on what matters most  2️⃣ Learning from my friend & collaborator, Angela Houk—her creativity always inspires me  3️⃣ Being in community with others who care deeply & want to reconnect

Some connections are timeless. Like the intricate patterns in a fossil, our lives hold stories of beauty, resilience & growth. “Connections #5”
Photo transfer & mixed media on wood panel (8x8”)
SOLD Many thanks to the collector who gave this piece a new home!

Our shopping choices matter. Boycotts against Target are given minimal mention here. Where have equity minded shoppers turned to instead? “TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshalls & HomeGoods… reported a 4 percent jump… beating analyst expectations.” Coincidence? I think not. FREE GIFT ARTICLE

Horrifying.

So much winning.