Collage of Curiosities No. 30

November 2025

I’m writing this on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving wedged into an oversized chair with my husband, a fire burning in the stone fireplace. He’s feverishly chatting with one of his brothers and a friend who’s joined us for the holiday at my in-law’s cabin in North Georgia. The scene is a merry one. It’s all the cozier with the rain outside, our glasses full of bourbon, and our stomachs even fuller with my mother-in-law’s tomato soup. A perfect ending to a long day.

Today I drove to Greenville, South Carolina and back to deliver paintings to the Grand Bohemian Gallery. This was my fifth artwork delivery to them this year. I’m grateful for this newfound representation and, besides just the artistic opportunities, the travel opporunities.

If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that I’m a road trip girl. Winding my way through the mountains, mists swallowed every peak. If I was standing, I’d have been weak at the knees. I saw my paintings in the woods. I never tire of dipping my toes into the wild. It took every fiber of my being to keep from pulling off and wandering into the gauzy scene surrounding me. Florence Welch’s banshee cries sounded over my speakers.

Through the bramble and the briar

Under oak and ash

I went to find the hidden folk.

Instead, I continued to hug every sharp curve and narrowly avoided a startled buck. Slick roads, heavy skies, and skeletal trees. I soaked it all up. The sweetness of it all flooding in and burning metallic hot rivers in my veins. I’m not sure why the melancholy of the wilderness calls to me so. Sometimes, my heart physically aches when I venture into mother nature’s arms.

I’m alone again. The jolly crew ventured off to put on a film. I’m left here with the fire. Just the smells of the gentle rain, contentedly crackling flames, and a collapsing log to keep me company.

As my pen glides across the page, I feel nothing but peace and an overwhelming sense of gratitude to have such moments in my life. This year has been so very full. It’s a privilege to create for a living. Even more so, it’s an honor every time someone says “yes” to my work. So I thank you for being here, reading these words, and supporting my dreams.

Happy Thanksgiving.