The Space Between
Solo Exhibition at Surel's Place in Garden City, Idaho.
Spirit Leader (A Dream) | Oil | 16" x 22" | $500
Eyes of the World | Acrylic, Oil | 35" x 53" | $2000
Valley of Peace | Oil | 24" x 24" | $800
From Within | Oil | 47" x 78" | $2000
Embrace the Mystery | Acrylic, Oil | 67" x 87" | $5000
River Flows in You | Oil | 20" x 40" | $1500
Human | Oil | 11" x 20" | $500
SPIRIT LEADER (A DREAM)
A guardian,
A teacher,
A counselor and comforter,
A spirit leader.
He swims with grace and power,
Calmly guiding the souls of those who long for more.
Waiting,
Nodding and gently prodding,
Leading the way with a calmness that can’t be questioned.
He carries a peaceful wisdom
That our waking minds can’t understand,
But in the dream,
The space between this world and that one,
We see it,
We feel it,
And we know there’s nothing more real.
EYES OF THE WORLD
This piece began with a spontaneous outpouring as my mind and random chance intertwined. I used washed out paint and let it flow freely across the canvas, watching it spread without restraint. I let it dry, then painted another layer, and another, and so on, until most of the original layers had been completely covered. Even though these layers can’t be “seen” they’re realized in a different way, as each new layer was subconsciously influenced by the ones that came before. I see this process as a representation of the way in which the world shapes us. All of our past experiences—every layer of our lives—has played a part in making us who we are today.
VALLEY OF PEACE
I like to think of the Treasure Valley as the Valley of Peace. It’s something I see in the kindness of the people and the energy of the area. It’s a hope for the future—that this valley; this state; this country... That this world would be a peaceful place for all of us to be.
FROM WITHIN
It’s a soft and subtle transformation,
Patiently exploring,
A slow dance between body and mind,
Give and take,
Seek and find.
It moves as it grows, and I move with it.
The light guides my eyes and my hand follows,
Listening with vision,
The path sometimes unseen,
Improvised outside of time,
This is always the way it would be.
Engrained with emotions unknown,
Lain dormant within,
A feeling broke forth to begin,
And everything followed its course.
Growing, evolving,
Seeing, believing,
And working to make it right.
EMBRACE THE MYSTERY
Doubt takes hold as the mystery refuses to unfold,
Lies unrelenting and vulnerable truths untold,
My head spins and my hands grow cold
As fear takes over and doesn’t let go.
But somewhere within there’s a glimmer of hope,
A faith that prevails through all the unknowns,
Spanning the space between high and below,
Into the deep, letting me go.
There’s life beneath the surface,
Revealed by feeling,
The truth lives on in those believing,
A glory and grace that knows no bounds,
The presence is here and now.
RIVER FLOWS IN YOU
I like to treat the painting process as a form of worship. This piece embodied that approach. Each painting session was filled with an uninhibited joy unlike I've experienced before. I believe this is what life can look like when your soul and your mind align and your intentions are pure.
HUMAN
I see the clouds ablaze with crowns of light as they drift slowly over the hills amidst a sunset sky, and I can’t help but feel that there’s so much more to this life. A still small voice speaks to me from within, but I’m afraid to listen, I’m afraid to give in. I’m afraid to step out of my comfort zone and into the mystery. I’m afraid to go deeper and embrace the unknown. There’s a cold hard layer of shame that never seems to break, keeping me at bay, living in the space between who I’ve been and who I could be...