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 intentionally - gathering images I could later translate into paint - but what unfolded was more than reference collecting. 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 forced. Nothing 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 the openness and expansion, hinting at the river beyond. The shaded foreground honors rest and rootedness. Regeneration happens quietly, often beneath a canopy. It happens in community. It happens when we support one another's growth.

For me, this painting marks a moment of alignment - creativity, livelihood, family, and beauty all moving in the same direction. It is a portrait of shared becoming.