Once I block in the outline of the drawing of a new oil painting, I then reshape the entire piece to conform to my knowledge of how the flower actually looks in nature. It’s a tightrope walk between my background in botanical illustration and my desire to incorporate abstraction intertwined with the flower. My tendency is always to go for complete accuracy but my artistic side pushes back demanding a different vision. Each painting lands on one side or another of this vision.

On my deck in the morning, the sun catches the brilliance of the Cordyline fruticosa, otherwise called a Ti plant. These changing colors throughout the day always make my heart sing.

I began this daily journal in February, 2026 as I prepared for my solo exhibition, “Portraits From My Garden” at Locust Grove in Poughkeepsie, NY, from June 5 – September 15, 2026, my work for the group show, “Hearing Women’s Voices” at the Ceres Gallery in from June 23. to July 18, 2026, and my upcoming November 2026, solo exhibition titled, “Centering in the Midst of Chaos” in Chelsea, New York City