All new artwork at Hoffman Gallery

Exhibit-Thursdays–Sundays | November 6–29 | 12:00-5:00pm
Opening Reception November 8 | 3:00-5:00pm
Gallery is closed the last Sunday of every month
Hoffman Center for the Arts | 594 Laneda Avenue | Manzanita
Free and open to the public

For as long as I can remember, the ocean has been a source of wonder and inspiration. As a child, inspired by the PBS series The Voyage of the Mimi, I daydreamed about becoming a marine biologist, studying whales and the many mysteries beneath the surface. Growing up, my family often visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where I would spend hours mesmerized by the jellyfish tanks and the variety of sea life. Those moments planted the seeds of curiosity and awe that continue to guide me today.

The ocean has also been a place of solace and comfort throughout my life. In times of uncertainty and turmoil I return to the sea to find steadiness in its rhythms and perspective in its vastness. In these pieces, I draw on both wonder and comfort to explore the ocean’s forms, textures, and rhythms. I hand-sculpted clay to echo shapes found in tide pools and coral reefs, then integrated them into my encaustic paintings. Layers of nautical charts and sea-level maps form the foundation, grounding each piece in both place and memory. Crushed abalone shell and mother-of-pearl are embedded in the surface, catching the light in ways that suggest shifting tides and the fluid movement of the sea.

The Ocean Within is a return to the childlike awe that first drew me to the water and an acknowledgment of the ocean as a place of healing, a reminder of its beauty, resilience, and enduring presence within us all.