I am currently juggling two bodies of work: the Mythic Collection, which I started back in June, and the Eastward Idols Collection, unexpectedly born from an abrupt change of plans this past August.

Finding inspiration for the Mythic Collection in my son’s recent fascination with Greek mythology, I’ve been consumed with retellings and ancient stories of women, nymphs, and goddesses who take agency over their circumstances when met with adversity. While I was looking forward to losing myself down this mythical rabbit hole for most of the summer, the universe had other plans…

An unexpected adventure in August paved the way for the Eastward Idols Collection, which blends the beauty of nature with the echoes of creatives heroes and heroines of another sort whom I’ve long admired.

Last December, my husband, Jason, and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary. We planned to take the Hawaiian honeymoon trip that was well beyond our budget back in 2012 when he was in graduate school, I was teaching, and we could barely make ends meet. I spent a year meticulously planning where we would go, what we would do, and where we would stay.

It was days before our trip and we had already started packing when the news about the Maui fires broke. I had just gotten out of a client meeting, when Jason came into my home office to tell me our trip had been canceled. At first, I refused to believe it could be that bad. I spent an hour scouring the news before it sunk in that we weren’t going. I was heartbroken - first for the romantic version of us renewing our vows on the beach, and then as more details about the impact of the fires came out, for the many people on Maui who were impacted.

I was heartbroken - first for the romantic version of us renewing our vows on the beach, and then as more details about the impact of the fires came out, for the many people on Maui who were impacted.

My son was already looking forward to a long stay with his grandparents; so, in an effort to salvage our two-week child-free vacation, Jason proposed a spontaneous roadtrip to the east coast. It wouldn’t be Hawaii, but we would be still be alone together, and, really, wasn’t that the point?

Except that more than a decade of family health scares, parenting, and a global pandemic has transformed me from the risk-taking girl I was in my twenties into the vigilant woman I am in my thirties. Interestingly, I’ve noticed this shift in perspective has had a converse effect on the art I create - it seems as the weight of responsibility gets heavier, the wilder and more experimental my work becomes. I barely recognize the figurative paintings and crochet blankets of my past as my own anymore.

With cautious optimism (and a churning stomach), we packed my little Corolla to the brim with everything from painting supplies and camping gear to date night outfits for a fancy dinner or show. We were ready for anything, and yet I felt prepared for nothing. BUT - plans can’t be broken if I didn’t make them in the first place, right?

When day one of our adventure finally arrived, we pulled out of our driveway and headed east. As we crossed the Michigan boarder and the sun began to set, I knew I had to let go of the trip I had planned in order to open myself up to enjoying the path we would forge in the weeks ahead.

Check back soon for more about the inspiration behind the Eastward Idols Collection!