Firefly Through me

Acrylic and guache, on canvas • 2022 • 24 x 24in

Light moves through the hands

not held, only passing on

bright enough to guide

This piece is called Firefly Through Me. It began with a childhood memory , catching fireflies with my neighbors on warm Atlanta nights, feeling pure joy and freedom. Fireflies have always felt like symbols of hope in the dark, and while painting, I realized that hope had found its way through me and onto the canvas.

I created this piece while learning the spinning technique in a painting class in Duneiden, FL, with my teacher, Robert Sutherland, who helped open my perspective to what can be seen and what can only be felt. I carried that insight forward , painting in many places, by the beach and near the water , letting the sense of freedom in those spaces move through my brush.

Firefly Through Me is an abstract portrait, alive with contrasting and complementary reds, yellows, purples, and oranges , colors drawn from the sunsets I often painted back home in Sarasota, FL. Hidden within the swirling forms are figures and winged shapes, representing freedom, peace, and the flow of energy that moves through all living things.

While painting, I felt powerful , fully charged. I wanted to express that through movement and color, noticing how opposites, like orange and purple, can work together to create something beautiful and alive. This piece became a release of energy, emotion, and awareness. It is about what moves through us when we allow ourselves to be free.