Grace in the ordinary, brought to life.
Using what God gives and I acquire (namely, pigment, paper, and liquid), I aim to portray the invisible and offer a fresh rendering of the visible world. Grace in the ordinary is brought to life in pastel, watercolor, and other media.
“On Being” Soft pastel on UART paper Not for Sale
Sample Portraits Soft pastel on Pastel Premier sanded paper
A process rooted in prayer.
Prayer is an integral part of my artistic process. I give my artistic talent to the Lord each morning in prayer, and I pray an act of surrender of my whole being before starting a painting. Whether a work is completed in one sitting or after multiple weeks, I pray the Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and God’s Word as I watch swaths of pigment be transformed into a unified work. For Jewish art works, I pray the Torah, Psalms, and the Word from the Prophets. More and more, I “give Him the brush” and pastel sticks. I remind myself often that it is God’s work and my “yes” to His direction and inspiration. Mindful of His Presence and His eternal care for both the big picture and details therein, I attempt to imitate that care. I find that I am confident (and without the angst of blank-canvas uncertainty) as I let Him, the Master Artist, work freely in me for the good of others.
History that is little, and growing.
A self-taught painter, I became interested in art in 2002, after receiving a B.A. in Corporate Communications. I began painting scenes in oil and acrylic. In 2011, I was blessed to encounter New England artist Maddi Alana, who, during a private workshop, inspired me to venture into the largely unpredictable and fussy (yet, freeing) land of watercolor. I completed my first work of sacred art in 2012, portraying Jesus as the Good Shepherd in a watercolor painting coated with high-gloss resin.
While working full-time in marketing, I received an MBA in Finance. After layoffs in 2023, I continued to produce art, but with a focus on photography and film-making for close to a year, co-directing and producing several films, including a 75-minute documentary entitled Lead, Kindly Light. On Easter Sunday 2023, my parents surprised me with the gift of a pastel workshop. Unbeknownst to them at the time, God had made it clear to me in prayer that He wanted me to resume painting, but in soft pastel – which, ironically, I had intentionally avoided for more than 20 years (…due to fearing dust with cadmium. Really.)
VIDEO: plein air painting at Spring Lake
These moments of grace congealed, and I dove right into the beautiful mess that is full of resolute trust, intentional focus, blessed spontaneity, and copious amounts of brilliantly colored pastel dust. I opened The Acquired Palette in October 2023, focusing on soft pastel works. In February 2024, I began studying under the acclaimed Alain Picard, a Master Pastelist known for his painterly style, expressive portraits, and bold landscapes.
I was recently juried into the Pastel Society of America (PSA), and am also a member of the Philadelphia Pastel Society, part of the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS). I am also a member of Cultivate, a vibrant online artist community that studies with Alain Picard.
I am currently taking private commissions. I continue to photograph and reference moments of grace – leading to sacred art, portraits of humanity, and landscapes of God’s creation.
“The Holy Spirit, “the Breath” (ruah), is the One referred to already in the Book of Genesis: “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was on the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters” (1:2). What affinity between the words “breath - breathing” and “inspiration”! The Spirit is the mysterious Artist of the universe....Every genuine inspiration...contains some tremor of that “breath” with which the Creator Spirit suffused the work of creation from the very beginning. Overseeing the mysterious laws governing the universe, the divine breath of the Creator Spirit reaches out to human genius and stirs its creative power. He touches it with a kind of inner illumination which brings together the sense of the good and the beautiful, and he awakens energies of mind and heart which enable it to conceive an idea and give it form in a work of art. It is right then to speak, even if only analogically, of “moments of grace”, because the human being is able to experience in some way the Absolute who is utterly beyond.”