Angel Crossing

This piece was commissioned to me by a friend where I was given creative freedom to design a beautiful piece for her room, the inspiration I received was centered around mixed media so that was my starting point. The one thing I knew for certain was the color palette I was itching to use, the pale peach and turquoise the deep purple and green contrasting the rusted orange.

It started as a graphic of a statue I found online and was to be surrounded with elements like added textures and papers from books to reflect a love of literature in the space, my art mentor Janna Geary proposed I diffuse the graphic black I had, with paint of a deep color instead, I made this adjustment, and quickly learned of my hands love of painting and allowed the canvas to guide me into creating this ethereal piece.

Ive always had a deep seated call to the heavenly, naturally when given an oppurtunity to pour myself into a painting I chose a heavenly creature. The depiction of the heavenly was as many others my natural introduction into that of a painting, whether its Da Vincis’ “The Last Supper” or Michealangelos’ Creation of Adam, (the latter also influenced my “Flight Risk”). Painting and art as we know it has become so many new, innovative, and strangely interesting things. My being raised in the digital age of a social media ruled world, superficial obsession, and formulaic art and stories, by contrast made me extremely impressionable to the tradition and figurative impact from that of the old masters, and so the painting journey I’m now on began.

  FLIGHT RISK

This piece began as I revisited a small painting I had done on a piece of wood I had lying around, which must have been during quarantine I suppose. What makes this painting special to me is how it has evolved with me over time. I had painted this when I was a different person, young, and afraid. clinging to the idea that God, represented by the hand, was in control of everything to maintain my own sense of peace. That’s why I included the strings.

As I continued working on the painting, my mentor suggested that the bird didn’t need the literal strings. Instead, I could hint at them through the stars, symbolizing the transfer of power. This idea resonated deeply within my own beliefs. At the time, I didn’t realize I was painting in response to an idea I no longer believed. I hadn’t fully understood that my recent struggles stemmed from desperately holding on to a false belief I had once accepted as truth. The moment I grasped that the strings were unnecessary, everything clicked.

Now, I understand the power in making my own choices. Looking back, I can still sense the presence of a guiding force—like a fixed gaze, an invisible hand, or a divine essence—subtly leading me, symbolized by the stars in the painting. Life offers us the freedom to choose, like gift of wings, and the gift of flight. And with that freedom comes risk. But now, I know it’s my choice to fly—and I choose to fly.

“A Storm With Smugglers Landing” By Natalia Paola After Philip James De Loutherbourg

This image is drawn from one of my favorite stories of all time, *The Count of Monte Cristo*, which I first discovered on the cover of the Penguin Classics edition in middle school. I was immediately struck by how it encapsulates the essence of the story—one of injustice, anger, revenge, and redemption. Edmond Dantès does everything in his power—emphasis on *his power*—to avenge the years unjustly stolen from him, years taken by the jealousy and resentment of others, even as his life was marked by favor and grace. Driven by a thirst for justice, he is consumed by revenge, taking it upon himself to punish the wicked as though carrying out God’s vengeance.

The image of the man stepping onto the land, burdened by the weight of a ship tossed by the sea, perfectly captures the immense weight of anger and the inner strength required to pursue justice at all costs. There is also a deep sense of perseverance—when everything seems to be against you, even the forces of nature itself, there remains a glimmer of beauty and light behind the darkest of clouds. That light is still there.

The imagery resonates with me now more than ever, as life becomes increasingly challenging, the sun grows warmer, yet we grow more powerful, knowledgeable, and creative. I find it compelling to observe the contrast between human nature’s ability to persevere, adapt, and expand our capacity, while the ground beneath us sinks with the passing of time. Our instinct to innovate, survive, and dominate can drive us to great heights, but it also has the potential to lead to our own destruction.