About Me

“Water quiets all the noise, all the distractions, and connects you to your own thoughts.” — Wallace J. Nichols​

 

I started painting the ocean during a particularly challenging time in my life. I was navigating a lot of anxiety then (a story I’m always happy to share if you’re curious), after living abroad in a country land locked and away from the ocean for the first time in my life. My coming home was much more than moving geographically, it was a coming back to myself, as cliche as that might sound. Rediscovering the being I was before life and survival twisted me into something I really wasn't.

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In the early days I was still struggling a fair bit, except when I was in the water, surfing with my partner, it was like having a different mind for those moments, absolute magic, absolute peace. I know this is not a unique experience, how many people go for a walk by the sea to "clear their head". The rise in cold water swimming for exactly these benefits. It was all so real to me and I found it fascinating how the water could hold so much calm and clarity. That's when I read about Blue Mind Theory and discovered that this is a thing. 

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So just to explain the science bit a little if this term is new to you - Marine biologist Dr. Wallace J. Nichols uses the term Blue Mind to describe the mildly meditative state we enter when we’re near, in, or under water, a state of calm, connection, and creativity. It stands in contrast to Red Mind (stress, anxiety, overstimulation) and Gray Mind (burnout and numbness). Both of those I have known in a big way. Science shows that spending time near “blue spaces” like oceans, rivers, lakes can lower cortisol, slow the heart rate, and boost feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. The rhythmic sound and movement of water gently quiet the mind, inviting presence and reflection.

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So the mission became taking that home. Creating something that reminded me of the ocean's power, vastness, hugeness, all the ness's I can think to describe the ocean in all her forms. I hope to create art that reminds people of who they are when they stand at the shore looking out, and for them to bring more of that being in to their everyday life. Have a home that supports creativity, peace and a clear mind. To create something that invites you to slow down and breathe, because I think we could all do with a little more of that in our lives.  

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