This painting feels sacred to me—a gentle ground fire, cleaning the forest.

The gold foundation and transparent layers of thin smoke feel like a veil. With resilience, the trees experience the heat and smoke. In this view, we focus more on the vertical movement of the smoke and the trees aiming towards the sky than the actual flames. “Good Fire” brings what is happening on the earth and gently lifts our eyes upwards, reminding us of the relationship with have with our world. 

This piece demonstrates a beautiful relationship between humans and nature. Humans being proactive in helping the ecosystem through a prescribed burn be its healthiest version it can be, which in turn protects local cities and homes. 

It is a thought provoking story we often do not celebrate or notice in nature— the need for destruction in order for new beginnings to occur. While a messy process, there is beauty in it too. 

Sometimes we experience a challenge in life that helps us grow in a new way. And I believe those situations—both small and large— make us each the person we are today. 

While we may need a daily reminder of loss, struggle or pain we have experienced, having one of my paintings gives you a daily reminder to have a mindset of resilience and growth. While my paintings are unique and abstract in concept, my collectors know that beauty and peace is nothing without its opposites and they bravely face fears and uncertainty with faith, resilience, and determination. 

This is a unique backstory in that I was able to witness and photograph this prescribed burn with the Florida Forest Service 10 years ago. It was an enlightening and memorable experience that continues to inform my work.