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I’m beyond thrilled to share that my painting, Emerging into the Light, has been selected as the featured artwork for the 50th Anniversary Mainsail Art Festival!
This piece—depicting the sun rising from behind storm clouds over the St. Petersburg Pier—will be showcased on the festival’s official merchandise and posters for this milestone event. Mark your calendars for April 5 & 6 at Vinoy Park in Downtown St. Pete, and come visit me at the festival. More details, including my booth number, will follow soon!
Size: 60x48 inches
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The Inspiration Behind Emerging into the Light
To me, a sunrise symbolizes renewal, and the promise of new beginnings. After the challenges our community faced from the hurricanes of 2024, I envisioned a dramatic, powerful scene depicting a moment of transition when storm clouds begin receding, revealing the sun and its golden light washing over the city.
This concept of resilience and transformation runs through my entire new series titled, Into the Light, which I’ll be unveiling at Mainsail Art Festival. Each piece explores themes of renewal and light—echoing the beauty and possibilities of our coastal landscape.
The Process
One of the biggest challenges in creating this painting was settling on the perfect vantage point. I wanted a high perspective that captured both the vibrancy of the city and the lush green foliage below. I pored over video footage, gathered reference photos from friends in high-rise condos, and combined elements from my plein air color studies at sunrise.
From there, I built a scene that blended my sketches, color studies, and a palette of soft warms and cools to evoke a dreamy, atmospheric quality. The twinkling city lights, the movement of the clouds, the hazy glow—it all comes together to create a sense of awakening and renewal under the nurturing light of the sun.
Explore More Inspirations...
Check out another custom installation here for a luxury condo designed by Interior Designer, Julianne Hendrickson.
Read about the fun and serendipitous journey of finding art this collector and her interior designer had here.
Explore my curated library of framing options to find the perfect finish for your custom artwork—read more here.
For more information about how to commission a painting, visit my commissions page here.
Here are more ways you can follow my work and become a collector:
- Sign up for premium access to new artwork and member-only pricing. It’s free and a nice place to spend time checking out new art as it is created.
- Interior Designers, sign up here for art & ID related updates and collaboration opportunities.
- Give me a follow on Instagram to see my work coming to life in real-ish time. The more audience that shows up, the more content I will produce.
- Check out my 2024 events list and mark your calendar. I update this list as things are added, so come back often.
Thank you for being a part of this journey! I look forward to sharing more inspirations with you soon.
