How nature inspires my art

Nature has always been at the heart of my creative process. Even when I’m not consciously trying to paint a specific place, the colors, textures, and quiet rhythms of the natural world tend to find their way into my work. When I look back, it makes perfect sense. So many of my earliest memories and experiences are rooted in the various landscapes that left a lasting impression on me.

Monterey, California, USA

I grew up on the central coast of California, a place where the land and ocean are intertwined. Foggy mornings would give way to bright afternoons, cliffs dropped sharply into the sea, and wildflowers bloomed on roadsides and anywhere they could find a bit of space in the springtime. I’m really drawn to moments where things feel slightly wild but also deeply calming, much like a quiet beach walk or a windswept trail overlooking the Pacific.

Living so close to the ocean also taught me to slow down and observe. Changing tides, the waves lapping in and out, the way light hits the clouds at sunset. Those observations are a big reason I love working with details in my art, whether that’s layering colored pencil, building up interesting textures with acrylic paint, or taking my time with a composition until it feels just right.

Seattle, Washington, USA

Now I live in Seattle, and while the landscape is very different, it feels just as inspiring. The Pacific Northwest has a moodiness to it that I’ve grown to love with its towering evergreens, moss-covered paths, misty mornings, and deep, saturated greens that seem to glow even on gray days. There’s a sense of abundance here, as if everything is growing all together. That lushness has definitely influenced the kinds of subjects I’ve been drawn to lately, especially with florals and botanical elements.

Seattle has also shifted how I think about color. The softer, diffused light has helped me appreciate subtle gradients and layered tones. I find myself experimenting more with gentle contrasts and richer shadows, letting the colors feel a bit more atmospheric. Even when my work leans more bright or playful, there’s often an undercurrent of calm that comes from this type of environment.

Beyond the places I’ve called home, travel played a huge role in shaping my connection to nature as well. Growing up, my family traveled often, especially to national parks. Those trips felt like stepping into entirely different worlds, from beautiful lakes to wide-open skies, towering mountains, dense forests and more. Visiting so many distinct landscapes at a young age helped me see how varied and expressive nature can be. Each place had its own story, color palette, textures, and feeling.

The national parks, in particular, taught me to appreciate scale. Standing in front of something so vast (canyons, mountains, ancient trees) has a way of putting things into perspective. I think that sense of awe still shows up in my work, even on a small scale. I love creating pieces that feel intimate but still carry a sense of wonder, like a tiny reminder of the much bigger world around us.

When I sit down to create, I’m often drawing from a mental library of these experiences. A painting might start with the curve of a leaf that reminds me of a forest path, or a color combination pulled from a sunset on the coast from years ago. Even when I’m working from imagination, nature is usually the thing that quietly guides me in the background, helping me choose that which feels balanced, organic, alive.

My hope is that my art feels welcoming, like an invitation to pause for a moment and reconnect with something familiar and grounding. Whether you grew up near the ocean, spend weekends hiking, or simply enjoy noticing the plants growing in your neighborhood, nature has a way of bringing us back to ourselves and rooting us back in the “real world”. If my work can offer even a small sense of that, then I feel like I’m doing what I set out to do.

If you’d like to see how these influences show up in my current work, I invite you to browse our online shop or follow along on Instagram, where I share behind-the-scenes glimpses of my process. You can also sign up for my newsletter to get early access to new art, prints, cards, and special updates straight to your inbox. Thanks so much for being here, I’m very glad you found your way to my little corner of the internet.