Opening reception at Fuquay-Varina Arts Center on September 19, 2025. The show runs through November 1. Learn more and get directions here.

Reverencing Earth Artist Statement:
These paintings are portals of the sacred. Integrating archetypal symbols with architectural thresholds and the mandala (Sanskrit for circle) provide a framework to give expression to the beauty, bounty, and holiness of the living earth. My love of animals and the more-than-human world and grief for those we have already lost and what is threatened guides my vision to educate and inspire awe for our miraculous planet. Birds and butterflies in particular play a central role as messengers of prophecy, transformation, and hope.

My process involves researching sacred texts, mythology, indigenous ways of knowing, and science/ecology that inform both the narrative of these intricately detailed paintings and art as a spiritual practice. The four-panel series Where We Stand is Holy including is a creation-centered interpretation of the Liturgy of the Hours, reminiscent of Medieval illuminated manuscripts. Yggdrasil Tree of Life is inspired from my Swedish ancestry and Norse mythology, while the Reciprocity Mandala and Kinship Mandala are inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.

Reverencing Earth is holding a deep sense of respect, awe, and appreciation for the natural world, recognizing its intrinsic value, and our interconnectedness. It involves acknowledging our place within the web of life while inviting practices that promote conservation and advocating for environmental protection. As we navigate an uncertain future, loss of biodiversity, deforestation, climate change, and plastics inundating our waterways, how can we be a faithful witness to our changing world? How do we break open our hearts to the beauty and the sorrow­ then be inspired to take action to preserve life on earth? This is my quest and my prayer.