I’m thrilled to share that my painting, She Lives in the Happy Trees, a water media painting of a Red Tailed Hawk, was selected for the exhibit Transformation with the Guild of Charlotte Artists, hosted at the Mint Museum!

A red tailed hawk glows in golden hour light pouring into its home—the forest engulfing my neighborhood. Featuring a watercolour base with metallic golden and shimmering blue accents and final touches in gouache, this raptor has demanded my attention and grounding many times in the past year as I drowned in indecision over a dying career and actualizing my potential as an artist. It appears when I need reminding to trust myself over fear—like two weeks into self-employment while I was spiraling over the instability of my choices and caught this spirit perched outside my kitchen window begging to be painted. It was at that moment in my kitchen that I learned to lean into what I know I must do when the panic sets in—to believe in myself by creating instead of worrying. And that self belief? It’s slowly starting to radiate from me just like the evening glow.

Guilding the Mint: Transformation opens June 17 at the Mint Museum Uptown and is on view thru August 23, 2026

Mint Museum Uptown; Level 5 Mint5pace - included with general admission

“Transformation” explores the quiet and continual process of change—through light, growth, perspective, and renewal.

Featuring guild artists, this exhibition reflect moments of emergence and unfolding, inviting viewers to consider how the familiar can shift into something newly seen.

The Guild of Charlotte Artists, established in 1948, is the oldest visual arts community in Charlotte, representing over 450 painters, photographers, sculptors, collage and mixed-media artists from the city and surrounding areas. As a fully volunteer-run organization, they come together to learn from one another, share opportunities, and build lasting connections.