I crane my head to gaze upon the black ocean that wheels overhead - its deep waters carry dazzling diamonds of light that shine through the currents of space and time. It takes little effort to be enraptured by this mega display of celestial power - only childlike wonder. Wonder requires time. Time requires space. Spacetime bends. And the time that seems to bend under my wonder of space bends so that hours of star-gazing feel like a mere hot minute. And back into the warm tent I go.

Artists have long depicted the night sky, so why do I do it? The years I’ve spent living in LA have been full of experiences that feel more like the Valley of the Shadow of Death than the San Fernando Valley of Sunshine. Chronic illness, being robbed, being taken advantage of - enduring seasons of pain, longing, and failure. “Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” they say. But what if its too dark to find my own bootstraps?

If I go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, “thou art with me,” says the Psalm. The hard part for me is not just to know that God is with me, but that He’s good. That His plans for me are for goodness and not harm. The dark makes me ask, “where is thy goodness?”

The night sky is to me a drama of light piercing through darkness - brightness traveling light years to tickle the eyes of humans at the perfect time in cosmic history. It’s a literal display of hope in the dark. “Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life,” says the Psalm, “and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

If I must go through this darkness we call life - I shall paint this darkness. And the hope that has overtaken it.

“Winter’s Paradise” invites you into peaceful retreat high in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Galaxies swirl overhead, snow falls, and a quiet hush wraps over the landscape like a blanket. The perfect place to enjoy a hot cup of coffee or tea. It was created on a 1.5” thick canvas, with the painting continuing around the edges. It arrives unframed.

40"x30" Acrylic on Canvas