I began what I now call meditation painting in the summer 2003 when I was a student in Guanajuato, Mexico. A few years ago I came across a scrap of paper where I painted part of a mountain during that summer abroad. Though the little watercolor wasn’t anything worth displaying, I was instantly transported to the moment it was made. I can vividly remember the strong winds, the little boys running and the indigenous women selling their textiles. The following year I took this method with me as I traveled through Europe and with each little, unremarkable painting I deepened my connection to the moments in which they were painted.

Years later, studying ecological design that taught me to look at nature as a teacher rather than something to be dominated, I used this method to converse with the wild spaces of local nature centers. I felt guilty at first because the encounters were so joyful and “unproductive.” And yet, there was something important there that kept calling me back. The lessons I learn in this ongoing practice inform my art and influence almost all aspects of my life.