24×30 // Acrylic & Ink on Canvas

California is a land of extremes. It is a place where the beach meets the mountains, the desert meets the rainforest, and the weather changes from neighborhood to neighborhood. Sometimes the hills burst to life with an overabundance of wildflowers, and sometimes they are laid to rest under a blanket of ash.

Just this year, the state has seen some of the most destructive wildfires in its history. Over 16,000 homes/businesses were damaged in Los Angeles during the Palisades/Eaton fires in January alone. We truly are living in ‘interesting times’. 

And yet, even through tumult and difficulty it is important for us to focus on the things that are beautiful in this life. Things that make life worth experiencing. Beauty is obviously subjective, of course, and maybe this painting I’ve made is not beautiful to you. Maybe no artwork is beautiful to you, and you instead find beauty in your family or your friends. I can understand that viewpoint as well.

Last month, I lost my brother unexpectedly. My world has been shaken in an unprecedented way, and I don’t know that it will ever be the same. I’ve been in a dark period ever since, but I keep thinking back to something Bob Ross said, “[In a painting] if you have light on light, you’ve got nothing. If you’ve got dark on dark, you’ve got nothing. You’ve got to have sadness to know when the good times come… I’m waiting on the good times now.”

The context of this painting is not that important. I like bright colors because they make me feel good, I like the poppies because they’re visually appealing, I painted it because I needed to. What’s more important is what it’s come to represent for me which is perseverance. 

Perseverance to create, even through our darkest moments.

Perseverance to love, even we don’t feel worthy of love ourselves.

Perseverance to grow and thrive, even when life feels impossible.