There are places that we visit, enjoy, and move on from—and then there are the places that stay with us. The ones we return to again and again in our minds, the ones that shaped us in ways we didn’t fully realize at the time.
For me, it’s waterfalls—always mesmerizing, always moving. It’s the way the sky felt impossibly larger and bluer when I moved to a higher elevation, stretching endlessly above and around me. It’s the diversity of trees in my travels—the tall pines standing sentinel, the golden villages of aspens whispering in autumn, the gnarled juniper trees on canyon edges.
Some landscapes aren’t just beautiful—they are personal.
Why Do These Places Stay With Us?
We tend to think of landscapes as something outside of us, but the truth is, they become a part of us. Certain places imprint themselves into our memory—not just for their grandeur but for what we felt in them.
• The accomplishment of reaching a summit after miles of uphill switchbacks.
• The freedom of driving through an open valley with no signal and no schedule.
• The solitude of an empty trail at sunrise, a moment that belonged only to you.
These places stay with us because they mark something meaningful—a challenge overcome, a moment of clarity, a reminder of who we are when we’re fully present and slow down.
How to Keep That Feeling Close
The hard part? We leave, but the feeling stays behind. Life moves forward, and it’s easy to lose touch with those moments—until something brings us back.
That’s what I aim to do with my paintings. A landscape painting isn’t just about capturing a view; it’s about capturing an experience, a memory, a part of yourself that you don’t want to fade. It’s about stepping into your home after a long day, glancing at a painting, and being instantly transported—to that night camping under the stars, that sunrise, that deep breath you took under an open sky.
This idea is at the heart of Inward Journey Outward, my upcoming collection. These paintings aren’t just scenery—they’re reminders of adventure, resilience, and the places that have shaped you. They are an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to ask yourself:
• What landscapes have shaped my story?
• Where have I felt the most free, the most strong, the most myself?
• How can I bring that feeling into my everyday life?
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about the inspiration behind this collection and how you can bring a piece of your own inward journey home.
I’d love to hear—what’s a place that has never left you?
Let’s celebrate those landscapes together.
with gratitude,
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