A Season of Seeing

I’m truly excited to be fully immersed in my art practice here in 2026!

I have a new show on display for only three weeks at the Simpsonville Fine Art Gallery, from January 13 through February 3, 2026.

This small collection includes six oil paintings, four described here — Sunrise, Lollypops, Good Morning, Neighbors, and Walking Together — each capturing moments of light, reflection, joy, and quiet presence.

Sunrise

Sunrise near Rocky Creek is an oil painting full of texture and contrast. It was inspired by a walk through the woods in my neighborhood — a place I’ve come to love deeply over the past ten years. It’s my favorite place to walk, a space where I often feel refreshed, grounded, and quietly restored.

Over time, these woods have become more than a path or a view; they’ve become a place of renewal, prayer, and reflection. This painting holds not just a moment of morning light, but a decade of memories, gratitude, and gentle return.

When I first started this painting, I had high hopes for a beautifully realistic result. I soon became discouraged, and it sat untouched for a while. Later, during a season when I simply needed to play creatively and not care too much about the outcome, I began working differently.

As I painted my other oils, I would clean my palette with a palette knife — and instead of throwing the leftover paint away, I scraped it onto this canvas in different areas. As a result, the leaves of the trees now hold many layers of leftover oil paint, creating rich texture and unexpected beauty.

Because it was so different from my usual work, I hid it away for a while once it dried. This is its first public showing. It now hangs alongside another large painting, Lollypops, and together they create a subtle and meaningful contrast:

• Sunrise is full of texture; Lollypops is smooth.

• Sunrise is something large made small; Lollypops is something small made large.

• Sunrise uses muted, natural tones; Lollypops is full of strong, joyful candy colors.

Lollypops

Lollypops is a large-scale oil painting featuring a group of oversized lollipops, rendered in sweeping, expressive strokes and intensely saturated color. What is usually a small, fleeting “pop” of color becomes the entire subject — expanded, celebrated, and given space to be fully seen.

By enlarging something playful and ordinary into something immersive and monumental, the painting invites the viewer to slow down and enjoy color, movement, and joy for their own sake. The swirling forms and layered brushwork create rhythm and energy across the canvas, while the scale transforms a simple moment of delight into something bold, radiant, and almost abstract.

I first noticed this candy at the Charlotte, North Carolina airport while our church group was heading out on a mission trip. In the middle of the hustle and bustle, I wandered into the candy shop and was completely taken by the bright, organized repetition of shapes, sizes, and colors. It was a brief, sweet, and joyful moment in the middle of a very busy day.

Good Morning, Neighbors

This small original oil painting was inspired by a quiet, cool November morning — the kind where the light feels soft, the air is crisp, and the day hasn’t quite begun yet.

As the school bus approaches to pick up the neighborhood kids, I’m walking our dog Joy alongside my son Joel, pausing just long enough to notice the way the light filters through the trees and settles across the street.

Painted with loose, expressive brushwork and layered color, this piece captures the beauty of an ordinary moment made meaningful — a small slice of family life, routine, and reflection.

Walking Together

This small oil painting captures a quiet neighborhood walk just as the day is beginning. My son, Joel, and I enjoy walking our dog Joy together — a simple moment that becomes meaningful in its stillness.

The early light is soft and cool, casting long shadows across the road as trees glow with fresh greens and warm hints of gold. Painted with loose, confident brushstrokes and a limited, harmonious palette, the piece feels both specific and universal — a particular family moment that also reflects a rhythm many of us recognize: walking, being together, and entering the day slowly and attentively.

There is a sense of quiet companionship in the figures and a feeling of gentle forward motion — not rushing anywhere, just being present in the walk itself. In contrast to the brightness of Lollypops and the layered texture of Sunrise, this painting offers something tender and grounded: a moment of connection, morning stillness, and simple grace.

Visit the Show

If you’re local to Simpsonville or nearby, I’d love for you to stop by the gallery between January 13 and February 3 to see these pieces in person. Paintings always feel a little different when you’re standing in front of them — the texture, the scale, and the quiet details come alive.

Thank you, as always, for being part of this journey 🤍 Don't miss the new artwork coming in February!