Meaningful Moments: There's an Art to Paying Attention

The paintings were finally on the walls. After nearly six months of creating more than thirty new originals, I had traded my brushes for a level, price tags, and a fair amount of rearranging. There is an art to hanging a show, too—although it occasionally involves stepping back and realizing the painting you just moved looked better where it was. When everything finally found its place, I paused. Before me were months of work, but also the moments that had inspired it: a spectacular sunrise, the last light of evening, a walk through a park, and afternoons when curiosity took over in the studio. Looking around, I understood just how fitting the title Meaningful Moments had become.

True meaning begins with noticing.
Some of the scenes in this new collection began with something that could easily have slipped past me. A change in the sky, light finding its way through the trees,  an ordinary place suddenly becoming extraordinary because I happened to arrive at the right moment and paid attention.  Painting has taught me that the familiar always has something new to offer. I can return to the same path or shoreline and discover an entirely different mood waiting there.

We all have those opportunities. A conversation worth lingering over, a quiet morning before the demands begin or a beautiful evening we almost miss because we are busy finishing something else. Paying attention gives those moments a chance to become part of us.

Always leave room to play.
Alongside the landscapes in this show are contemporary paintings that grew out of a different kind of discovery. In those works, I gave myself room to explore broad palettes, build textures, and follow an idea without knowing exactly where it would lead. It’s moments like that when I feel like a child in the studio again, eager to see what would happen next.

After nearly fifty years as a professional artist, I still need that feeling. Experience gives me a foundation, but curiosity keeps me reaching. There is something wonderfully refreshing about setting aside the need to have every answer and allowing yourself to experiment.

Whatever your work may be, leave a little room for play, try a different approach. Give an unfamiliar idea enough time to surprise you.

The experience grows when we share it.
Creating a painting is largely a solitary experience. For weeks or months, it is a conversation between the canvas and me. Hanging the show opens that conversation to others. That is one of my favorite parts.

Someone recognizes a place they love. Another person sees a reminder of a family vacation or a peaceful afternoon. A contemporary piece catches someone’s attention for reasons they cannot quite explain, but they find themselves coming back for another look.

I bring my experiences to the canvas; you bring yours when you stand before it. Hearing what a painting stirs in someone else often helps me see it afresh. It is a privilege to create something that might become part of another person’s home and story.

An invitation to pause

Standing in the studio with the show finally hung, I felt grateful for the work, for the discoveries along the way, and for the opportunity to share them with you.

Meaningful Moments is a collection of experiences that made me stop, look, wonder, and sometimes simply play. My hope is that somewhere among these paintings, you will find a moment that speaks to you, too.

 I invite you to browse the latest catalog or join us at the studio on November 5 and 6 to experience the collection in person. Come take your time, enjoy the paintings, and tell me what catches your eye. I would love to hear the memories they bring to mind.

Until then, I hope you find something in your own day worth pausing for.