pink peony rose with 3 buds

New Work Available

September always feels like a fresh start, a New Year of sorts.  As summer draws to a close, I feel the need to organize, clear out. The quiet of these past months has allowed me to devote regular time at the easel, exploring and working on several projects, one of which is florals, a series I title “Messengers from Another Realm”.  My work lately has been a celebration of nature’s finest, the beauty offered by our world, which no pandemic may touch. I will be offering these works for sale, as they are completed.  New works will be posted on…

Millennial Mom Exhibit Opens September 4

Showing September 4 to October 29, 2019, thirteen works from the Millennial Mom collection will display in the beautiful lobby of Capitol Theatre in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. Please join me for a complimentary beverage to celebrate the opening of the exhibit Wednesday, September 4, 5-7 pm.  Hear more about Millennial Mom’s tale of the search for happiness, and share stories with friends new and old about life and love. Wishing you peace, health and happiness!  

Ask. Let Go. Listen.

This painting is one of intention, hope and faith, from the Light chapter of Millennial Mom’s tale. Desire is fundamental to our human nature.  It fuels our growth, and leads us to evolve.  Ultimately, it is the path to our true selves, leading us to work for the things that bring the deepest fulfillment. It is a universal desire… a need… to be known, to feel understood, cared for, loved.  When those needs aren’t met, we turn to substitute gratifications.  We over-consume substitutes — food, drugs or alcohol, entertainment, shopping, sex, work, perfectionism.  Or we seek to protect ourselves with…

I Didn’t Think It Would Be like This

Here we visit those infamous partners in sorrow – expectation, and resistance.  We expect life to turn out a certain way.  In annoyance and complaint, we resist what actually happens.  This painting is of the DARKNESS chapter of Millennial Mom’s tale. WANTING AND WISHING And this is the noble truth of the arising of sorrow. It arises from craving… — The Pali Canon If only ____, life would be better.  Many of us seek happiness in achievement and lifestyle, in living well.  We are certain the answers lie in the right relationship;  in financial security or status;  in the comfort…

Millennial Mom Battles the Sweet Demon

This painting, Millennial Mom Battles the Sweet Demon, is of the Descent chapter of the Millennial Mom: I Have a Probem with Fantasy series.  I hope my artistic abilities are sufficient to convey this noose is made of candy, meant to symbolize those substances we turn to, which, when used in excess, (with fixation, imbalance, and loss of control) can harm us, either mentally, spiritually or physically. THE NAMELESS YEARNING Many of us turn to a substance/behavior to meet our fundamental needs that are not met.  We feel a nameless yearning for something other.  Believing we cannot handle these uncomfortable…

Forgive Me

Forgive Me, is a pivotal work in the final chapter of the Millennial Mom story. THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE Want freedom from suffering?  A good place to start is to face your painful truth.  In trying to make sense of challenging outcomes, rather than blaming those things we cannot control – other people, society, fate/the universe/God/whatever-you-believe-in –  instead, look within. After many years of struggle, I’ve found freedom in honestly and humbly looking at my part, in how things go down.  How have I contributed to what is troubling me?  Where have I selfishly wanted life to go…

Love Yourself First

I have pondered long the difference between selfishness and self-love. My husband has a problem with this one, says people will take it the wrong way.  Egos will read this as license to think only of themselves.  Mayhem will ensue.  That I fail to acknowledge the true One-Self of the enlightened. But I trust my readers will understand what I’m saying, largely because many have lived the consequences of what happens when we don’t heed this advice. Below, I share why this matters, and what it means in our day-to-day life. We can heal the world by first healing ourselves,…

I Didn’t See This Coming

LIFE IS UNPREDICTABLE One of the basic laws of life is the constant of change.   Living in fear and resistance, it can be too much.  Lack of care for psychological stress can tip one into despair. Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. — Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy), John Lennon THE ILLUSION OF CONTROL Our culture teaches us we can get what we want if only we try harder, sacrificing to get where we want to be.  Today’s norms have us moving away from family support,  over-committing ourselves so we can enjoy all life has…

Millennial Mom Battles Mediocrity

Millennial Mom’s tale begins with Myth, which examines our pursuit of happiness through perfection and validation from others.  In Millennial Mom Battles Mediocrity, I address the illusion that achieving a certain weight or physical accomplishment will deliver that sense of worthiness and wholeness we all desire.  That all will be right in our world, if only we be can be… better than we are now. WHAT I WAS DOING For years I pursued this illusion — if only I could lean down and get fit, look “beautiful”, wear my favorite clothes again, my worries would be over.   I would finally…

Millennial Mom Battles Monkey Mind

Meditation has saved me.  Along with exercise, a nutritious diet, great sleep, sunshine and fresh air, a daily meditation practice is key to my health and well-being. Much of our suffering is caused by our thinking.  We can free ourselves from this suffering by learning to recognize what is true in the present moment.  We do this through the regular practice of mindfulness, otherwise known as meditation.   – Tara Brach, PhD WHY MEDITATE Very practically, meditation has been shown to help manage pain, depression, stress, and cortisol levels, as well as raise our happiness set point, that point on…