T H E  P O W E R  O F  R E S T

Humans are inherently connected to nature because we are nature. We feel a sense of oneness, peace, and wonder when connecting with the natural world because we are connecting to ourselves in those moments. Themes of nature, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of life are woven through my work on a whole; I currently consider myself an animal artist. I have always been in awe of animals and their unique energies, and I believe that we have much to learn from the energetic wisdom of animals and the way they survive. Humans are animals, after all.

In this collection of large wild cats, I aim to highlight the power of rest. These cats spend most of their day resting and sleeping (up to 20 hours each day for lions) so that they can use their energy wisely and save it for what really matters. Rest and a balance of doing/being are essential to their survival; they are essential to our survival as well. Living in a fast-paced, patriarchal, capitalistic society of productivity and constantly doing is unhealthy. We are overstimulated, overworked, and overwhelmed. We are out of balance. The energy of doing is considered masculine energy, and the energy of being is considered feminine energy (both energies are within all of us, regardless of sex or gender). Actively valuing and cultivating feminine energy in our collective will bring ourselves and our planet back into balance.

One of the key ways to cultivate feminine energy is through rest. Rest restores us, rejuvenates us, and ultimately returns us to our core essence of wholeness and connectedness to ourselves, each other, and the Universe. Rest not only helps us reclaim our power and bloom to our full potential, but it is also considered resistance to a society that was created to make people tired and easy to control.

I created “The Power of Rest” collection with these themes in mind. Masculine, straight lines and corners are at the bottom of each piece, and feminine, curved lines and circles are at the top, reaching upward for a softer, more balanced energy. There are elements of skies or space in each piece, which represents spirituality and connection to the Universe, and flowers are included to show these large wild cats reaching their fullest potential at a slow, patient pace. The abundance of negative space represents the space we need in our lives.

Although I am known as a self-taught painter, I decided to try collage for this series as a mental break from creating all images from scratch; images in this collection came from old magazines, books, and calendars. Collage also allows me to think outside the box and more freely experiment with ideas and composition without committing to an idea right away. The ability to move images around before adhering them to canvas reminded me of how I create digital design work; I noticed the influence of tight lines and symmetry I include in digital design in this collection.

Despite changing mediums for this show, the themes, colors, and dreamy quality of my work remain the same, along with the intuitive nature of my creative process. I create art as a tool for healing for myself as a maker and for you as a viewer. I hope “The Power of Rest” empowers you to connect with nature/yourself and to choose rest more often so you can come back into balance with all that is.