painting emotions

A few weeks ago I was sitting in a coffee shop with two artist friends, Garrett and Dan. We were talking about painting emotions and we were asking ourselves how you express intangible things--like joy or mystery or fear--with paint. How do color and texture, light and dark combine to communicate intangible things? Since that conversation, I've been contemplating different emotions and what they would look like if I painted them. My intense experiences with depression eight years ago came to mind very quickly and then, the thought of what hope can feel like in contrast. Today I sat down to paint them both.

flight

Early in the morning and late in the evening when you cross the river through town or pass over one of the many creeks that feed the river, you will find the swallows darting and swarming around the bridges where they build their mud nests safely underneath. It's a ritual that greets the day and then meets the night. It's one of my most favorite sights.