New Collection + Hotel Residency

I'm Hotel Kansas City's VERY FIRST artist-in-residence! 

I'll be painting live in the lobby throughout the month of January, and my new collection of original paintings and poetry will be on exhibit (for sale and for enjoyment) at Hotel Kansas City in February 2025.

SHOP THE COLLECTION

I'm Hotel Kansas City's FIRST EVER artist-in-residence!

I'm still in stock that this is actually happening!

January 2025: I'll be painting a few final pieces from my collection Flying in the Dark - LIVE IN THE HOTEL LOBBY - on Thursdays and Fridays!

February 2025: Flying in the Dark will remain on exhibit (for sale and for enjoyment) in the lobby of Hotel Kansas City for the entire month. Art buyers must agree to work staying at hotel on exhibit through the end of the month before pickup/shipping of purchased art.

March 5th: And the first weds of every month, I'll be teaching a painting workshop in the hotel lobby. Tickets available soon, and each class will be unique in theme and location within the hotel!

LEARN MORE

About the collection

It all started when a bat hung from my porch in broad daylight, during one of the most excruciating, confusing seasons of my life. The bat waited all day - through plenty of noise and bright light - to bring me a message. The spirit guide didn't end up leaving until after its significance sunk in with me. Throughout my whole life, when God and the universe speak to me, it's through animals. So, I listened.

The Hebrew word for Bat implies "flying in the dark" or "night bird," a symbol of overcoming obstacles during dark times and choosing to fly through them. A symbol in many cultures of death and rebirth, the bat can signify ending old ways, the dawn of a new life and positive changes and transformation. When it arrives in your life, it teaches you that you, too, possess the innate ability to overcome hurdles in your path.

I began practicing my presence in the dark, allowing myself to be stripped bare naked. Letting the dead parts burn in order to bring new healthy life, to give me strength and prepare me for that's to come.

The bat reminded me of my/our innate ability to heal and transform into our highest selves by paying close attention to everything around us and how we're all connected. My upcoming collection Flying in the Dark features The Bat, The Valley, The Moon, etc as protagonist and spirit guides in the journey.

Often characterized by darkness, these symbols of nature are wise guides, teaching us that sometimes the only way back to light is by teaching yourself how to fly in the dark. Come get comfortable in the valley of darkness. Only you can pull yourself out.

More on the residency from Hotel Kansas City

Painting in the Language of the Spirit

My collection features the following mediums:

  • Gansai Tambi - Japanese pan watercolors meaning "vibrance aesthetic"
  • Watercolor
  • Acrylic paints
  • Oil and Oil Pigment Stick
  • Poetry
  • 24 Karat Gold
  • Embroidery
  • Sumi ink - hand ground on an ink stone.

Grinding ink on an ink stone and the practice of using a brush to create deliberate strokes are both rooted in spiritual practices and have traditionally been used by Buddhist monks as a form of meditation and reflection to discipline minds and improve concentration.

coming soon

About Hotel Kansas City

This hotel holds a special place in my heart as my parents hosted their wedding reception here over 40 years ago when at the time it was known as The Kansas City Club, established in 1882, was one of the Midwest’s premier social clubs originally for men only. Women were first allowed to join the Kansas City Club in 1975, and the hotel honors this with a photo of the first woman member in each of the guest rooms.

It is such an incredible honor to represent not just Kansas City artists as this historic hotel's first-ever artist-in-residence but also as a woman. It's a privilege to live in an era where I, as a woman, have a voice.

The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 and was renovated into a hotel, preserving it's beautiful history, reopening in 2020. Warm and bespoke, the hotel and service bridge the gap between neighbor and traveler, through a common love of the city’s spirit. Built on a culture of community, Hotel Kansas City is a platform that celebrates local musicians, distillers, entrepreneurs, and performers alike.