About the Artist

There is an exhilaration which is not exactly pleasant that comes from staring in fear at a blank canvas and realizing there is nothing within me, apart from God, that can make beauty out of nothing. Then, out of fear and utter desperation, I pray. An interesting cycle then happens every time. One moment I feel enraptured by the excitement of the process and the next, tortured by it. Creating art can be exhausting, painfully stretching, and make one deeply vulnerable.

In art, as in life, there is always an ugly stage followed by an emotional low that makes one want to toss the chaos in the trash and hang up one’s paintbrushes for good. Then the light dawns and there is a glimmer of hope restored, progress made, and the piece starts smiling back in acceptance. But then we are back at the ugly stage again - frustration happens, and the cycle continues. And so this is the life of an artist: living in the in-between of frustration and tears and joy and relief. An artist is someone who pushes through this cycle to come out on the other side. Creating is not for the faint of heart. For me, I must create. To refuse would be to deny my nature. Besides, if I didn’t create, I’d miss out on the laughter and joy of practicing and playing in God’s presence… and there would be a lot of people with blank walls. And who wants blank walls?

Being an artist is not primarily a thing I do to live, but the thing I love to do. It is the full expression of what God has created within my deepest being, untangled from truths I cannot express in words alone. Art is where my mind, body, and soul dance together in perfect rhythm and to the beat of the ultimate Creator Himself. It is where I find spiritual and mental satisfaction as all my senses leap and spin and dance, and the medium through which I offer my life to God.

However, I long for my art to go even further than myself. It is easy to turn the creating process into a self-absorbing practice. As beautiful as it is to get one’s heart down on canvas in a lyrical way that brings joy to the one who created it, we don’t touch the true beauty of our creativity as an artist until we give it away and another is deeply changed and impacted within their souls by it. When someone purchases one of my pieces, a completion happens for me. In that moment I catch a glimpse of how God must have felt when He created the world and then gave it away to us to care for. The giving away of the deepest part of me through the process of art to another human being is a gift I treasure. I love the connectivity with those who treasure my art on their walls. They are caring for an intimate part of my journey and treasuring a part of my humanity. I, too, treasure each of them for who they are. These relationships are a gift and part of the artist’s journey and joy.

So why do you not see my name? Why do you not see listed here my education, awards, and praises? Why do I sign everything Soli Deo Gloria? The answer to these questions are a deep part of my journey and too complicated to write here. However, I will share this, Soli Deo Gloria means "glory to God alone". I wish to bring glory to God in every piece I create and point people to Him. I am faced with the fact every time I stare at that blank canvas again that there is nothing in and of myself that can do this. Everything I have came from God, including my ability, so it only seems fitting to give Him the glory alone. “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) Now this is my joy.

My prayer before I start every piece:

“Jesus, help me show Your glory through the art I create. May it bring You joy even as it brings joy to Your people. Help me show Your light, beauty, truth, and bring peace with each brushstroke or mark I make. I want to create in relationship with You just enjoying the blessing of Your presence. So please come. I want to practice and play in Your presence and as I do, may I reweave Your glory through the art I create. Amen”