The Misty Forest Collection: The Story Behind It
The Misty Forest Collection: The Story Behind It
Over the past year, many people have asked where I find inspiration for my paintings. One of my intentions for 2025 is to share more of the stories behind my work—and what better place to begin than with The Misty Forest Collection?
When I first began painting this series in 2022, I had no plan for how or when I would exhibit it. For once, I quieted the noise, picked up my paintbrush, and allowed creativity to lead the way. As both an artist and entrepreneur, I’m often focused on the end result—spending hours researching and planning each piece or project. But in this case, I gave myself permission to simply create without expectation, and it was incredibly liberating.
Since moving to Washington State in 2020, I’ve discovered a profound source of inspiration in the natural beauty that surrounds me. I was completely captivated by the dense, silver mist that drapes over the evergreen forests—ever-changing and endlessly enchanting. As someone originally from Florida, I had always drawn inspiration from tropical landscapes. The dramatic contrast of the Pacific Northwest completely caught me off guard and challenged me to capture its grandeur on canvas.
The Misty Forest Collection is my artistic tribute to the quiet majesty of Washington’s landscapes. Each piece seeks to evoke the ethereal interplay of light and shadow, as fog weaves through towering evergreens and blankets rugged hills, transforming the forest into something otherworldly. With soft, layered tones of deep green, cool gray, and subtle silver, the collection captures the serene, almost meditative atmosphere of the region. It’s a love letter to the Pacific Northwest—an expression of the peace and wonder it brings to my soul.
Since its completion, the collection has taken on a life of its own. It has been exhibited at 55 Sunset Café in Issaquah (April 2023) and Nuwave Gallery in Ellensburg (Feb-April 2024). In December 2023, I began offering fine art prints of two pieces from the collection, Misty Forest 4 and Mini Misty Forest 1. These prints have been sold at the Bellevue Arts Museum Cultivate Gift Shop, the Historic Shell Holiday Gift Shop in Issaquah, and at the brand new boutique named Muva located within the Columbia Tower in downtown Seattle. The Misty Forest Collection even found its way onto a utility box on the corner of Maple Street and Newport Way in Issaquah—something I never could have imagined when I first began the series.
The love and support this collection has received has been nothing short of a dream come true. Hearing how each piece resonates differently with every viewer reminds me why I do what I do. To know that my work now lives in the homes of others is the deepest honor.
