From California to Canvas: How My Love for the West Coast Shapes My Art
A Place of Respite — Original Sold, Commissions Available
California has always had a magnetic pull on me — the multifaceted landscapes, sculptural plant life, and the magic hour light that casts everything in a dreamlike glow. Though I no longer live there, Southern California remains a wellspring of inspiration that continues to shape my artistic language in quiet but enduring ways.
When I lived in Los Angeles, the city offered constant inspiration, but also demanded resilience.
Working in the film industry, I often felt the unrelenting pressure of deadlines and expectations, but peaceful pockets of West L.A. offered me refuge. The expansive beaches, succulent gardens, and blue skies became my escape — a way to reconnect with myself. These places provided a sense of calm amid the chaos, even when I didn’t fully understand their impact at the time. Looking back now, I see how those small moments of stillness shaped the soothing, transportive energy I strive to bring into my art today.
How California Inspires My Paintings
On a recent trip to Los Angeles I visited some of my favorite places: Point Dume in Malibu, Santa Monica, Abbot Kinney in Venice, and the neighborhoods of Los Feliz and Silverlake. I also had the opportunity to experience one of Kelly Wearstler’s hotel interiors — Proper Santa Monica — a visit that deepened my connection to California’s expressive design sensibility. I photographed the space, captivated by the dialogue between natural materials, bold form, and intentional mood. My time exploring these iconic Southern California places deepened my connection to the emotional and spatial balance I bring into my own paintings — works rooted in place, yet expansive in feeling.
Three recent paintings — Pocket of Peace, Alive With Beginning, and A Place of Respite — reflect this connection. Though these works have found homes, they embody the kind of quiet moments I return to again and again: the welcoming energy of the Pacific, the openness of Topanga’s hills, and the subtle rhythm and relaxing green of succulent plant life.
If you’re drawn to the calming energy and nuanced palette of these pieces, I invite you to explore a bespoke commission. Whether you envision a transportive abstract that mirrors the softness of coastal light or a bolder composition informed by mid-century design, I would love to create something that echoes I would love to create something that echoes the emotional presence and quiet strength of the West Coast — translated through my lens.