If you have been following me on Instagram for awhile, it would be impossible to ignore the oysters that are popping up all over my feed. In the studio I have been hard at work crafting my upcoming Oysters Prime collection for release in April. One of my friends asked me why I am so obsessed with oyster shells…why not conch, abalone, or nautilus?

Why oysters?

It’s a fair question. It is a particularly fair question, because my friend knows the truth. I am going to let you in on a little secret….

I loathe oysters on the half shell. It's hard for me to admit it because I pride myself on being a foodie with a sophisticated palette. But oysters? I just can't. This is an artist's blog, not a food blog, so I won't bore you with the details of why—gelatinous, cold, slimy , briny—shudder!  But No. No. No.

My philosophy is simply, If you can't eat 'em, paint 'em.

While I can give a pass to the culinary delights of oysters, oyster shells are pretty incredible. On the outside they are, by design, unremarkable. They are meant to blend into rocks and sand. Nothing too flashy, nothing to get excited about. Ordinary, gritty, and even broken around the edges. An oyster's outside is meant to protect them from the world of rough waters and predators. When you open an oyster, however, it is a different story.

Look at the inside of an oyster shell and you will immediately be entranced by the creamy softness punctuated by a dynamic swash of color. Your eye glides over an almost iridescent white shaded by undertones of yellow, blues, purples, and silvers. There is magic in every single one, hidden beneath that jagged exterior.

I am a woman in my mid-life—I can relate to that oyster. My body has survived some rough waters—injuries, surgeries, tough pregnancies, emotional tolls. I look in the mirror and see my own weathered edges. I feel like it would be easy for the world to overlook me with all my flaws. But those oysters remind me that inside I still have beautiful things to share. I have poetry in my soul that I want to paint. I have dreams for the world that I want to commit to canvas. I have energy, humor, verve, and passion…just like each of those hidden surfaces of the oyster. Every time I place an oyster on the canvas I speak up for my inner voice and for others who are trudging through a midlife crossroads. Each painting in this collection honors the souls that reside within—the ones that are hidden by external imperfections. Sometimes you just have to peak around the gravelly roughness to find something beautiful.