Gathering Light Together

Some paintings begin in solitude. This one began in companionship.

Gathering Light Together was inspired by a walk down the wooded trail to Witty's Lagoon, shared by my best friend, my partner, and my stepdaughter. We were there for the purpose of gathering images I could translate into paint - but what unfolded was more than that. It was collaboration. Mentorship. The blending of work and family life in a way that felt whole and hopeful.

As we walked, I noticed how the salal and understory plants stretched toward the filtered light. Nothing was forced. Nothing was hurried. Just steady reaching. The forest was quietly doing what we were doing - joyfully working together to gather what it needed to grow.

This painting holds that layered meaning. The luminous clearing ahead shows openness and expansion, hinting at the river beyond. The shaded foreground honors rest and rootedness. Regeneration happens quietly beneath a canopy, in community, supporting one another's growth.

This painting marks a moment of alignment - where creativity, community, and beauty all move in the same direction. 

Paintings that depict the foliage from this hike, in hyperrealistic detail, can be found here: Oregon Grape and Salal