I strive for simplicity and tranquility in my art, hoping to imbue a sense of calm and a connection to the natural world. My still-life subjects reflect the beauty of everyday human treasures and the magic of fauna and flora.

For this show, I chose subjects like tea caddies (natsume), tea pots (tetsubins), and water ladles (hishaku), pairing them with birds, butterflies, or fruit. I often look to the tenets of wabi-sabi and also chanoyu, the Japanese tea ceremony, for inspiration. I’ve been drawn to Japanese art since before I was in elementary school when I found myself fascinated by a book of classical Japanese prints that my mom had brought home. My love and appreciation for Japanese aesthetics continued in college when I studied the art of Japanese tea making and ikebana, flower arranging.

Recently, I learned about the Japanese aesthetic of shibui. With shibui, something seemingly simple evokes appreciation for the complex nature of life and is intended to reveal the beauty of what might be ordinary or mundane. It so resonates with my artistic approach, I was surprised I hadn’t come across the word before. But, even not knowing the exact term, it seems so deeply a part of Japanese aesthetics and philosophy that it was like knowing it without realizing it. I connected with this quote from 1960 by Elizabeth Gordon, former editor in chief of House Beautiful, that helps say what I cannot:

“Shibui describes a profound, unassuming, quiet feeling. It is unobtrusive and unostentatious. It may have hidden attainments, but they are not paraded or displayed. The form is simple and must have been arrived at with an economy of means. Shibui is never complicated or contrived… Shibui beauty, as in the beauty of the tea ceremony, is beauty that makes an artist of the viewer.”

My paintings invite people to slow down and let their eyes take time to discover what the piece calls forth. I remove all that is unnecessary in my compositions. Why? It’s two-fold.

First is how so much can be said by so little. The specificity of a pear, or a single ladle next to a chickadee, opens a clearer dialogue with viewers, a chance to see something relatable in their own lives. I have met many who have seen my work and let me know their special connection to birds or butterflies, pearls or locks, pears or plums.

This approach is reminiscent of haiku poetry, a form that focuses on specific details from nature and the everyday that speak almost surprisingly to the more universal events or experiences of being alive. Much can be conveyed when filtering down to basics. When painting, I explore how little a composition needs to effectively communicate what I see and appreciate, so it delicately speaks to something beyond myself and shows nature and everyday objects in a new but familiar light.

The second reason is more personal to my own journey. I often ask myself, why do I need so much in my life? Why do things need to be so cluttered, like in my garage or closet? I am striving for simplicity in all things. I move at such a fast pace, with so much adulting that needs to happen, tasks to do, doctor appointments, fixing the fence that fell, repairing the car, making dinner, doing laundry… How do I simplify my life from distractions?

I don’t want my work to have distractions. I want it to be simply stated. And for the viewer to draw their own connections to the work. To find what inspires them about each element and to consider the profound, complex beauty discoverable in simple, everyday moments. 

My upcoming solo show, “Seeking Shibui,” will be at Meyer Gallery in Santa Fe, December 13 through 26, 2024. I’ll be there in person, so I am excited to to meet those of you who are able to make it in person.

Meyer Gallery will be posting my work as it is delivered and if you’re interested in a piece, you are welcome to call them for further details at 505-983-1434. If you’d like to see the pieces currently available, click here to go to my exhibition page.