Equilibrium

Story Summary

Equilibrium was created to inspire pause, presence, and reconnection. Designed for the Shevlin Crossing Gallery, this 72×84" creation invites viewers to return to internal balance so they can better recognize it in the world around them. Built within the Time Collection, it blends crackle textures, gold underlayers, concentric movement, and sand-infused mediums to mirror the fluidity of life. As we reconnect inward, we expand that equilibrium outward...into our relationships, our work, and our shared community.

Story

Equilibrium was the one-word theme for 2025...discovered during a quiet hike in Shevlin Park in late 2024. Theming my year has been a guiding practice for many seasons, offering clarity and focus in areas that need greater intention. This year would be no exception, and “equilibrium” became both a reminder and a challenge. I began preparing this creation on August 30th for installation in the Shevlin Crossing Gallery inside the gorgeous Taylor Brooks office building, Shevlin Crossing Building B. Because of the large lobby wall on the first floor, I created my largest canvas to date, 72×84” to bring visual and energetic balance to the space.

Subliminal Story Art is art with intention, embedded with meaning, and this creation began with inspiration from my new Time Collection. Time has always fascinated me. “Equilibrium,” as a foundational anchor for the year, felt like the perfect piece to introduce this new line within the inaugural Artist in Residence program for Taylor Brooks. The program is designed to rotate local artists throughout these beautiful office environments, with my own creations used first so we could refine the installation experience together.

My intention was to create an experience of pause, a moment where observers could reconnect inward. In a world of constant movement and overwhelm, this creation stands as a calming interruption, offering space to breathe. I often say my art is more about connection than the art itself. While aesthetic and design matter deeply, each creation is an invitation to return to ourselves. As we rediscover equilibrium within, we begin seeing more of it reflected in our relationships, our community, and our world. This work was painted during a time when I was also working on a client commission and felt myself needing to come back to my own year’s theme. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

On August 30th, I began the canvas by forming a large equal sign both for scale and symbolism. Time flows moment to moment, yet we often experience it very differently. Sometimes it crawls as we wait for something. Other times, hours pass like minutes when we’re fully in flow. To express these nuances, I created the equal sign using thick crackle paste, highly pronounced before paint was added. Time is here, gone, and then instantly replaced by the next moment, its fragility is what makes it precious. Within the crackle, the word “Equilibrium” is stamped in the lower right, balanced by “Proverbs 16:11” stamped in the upper left.

After the crackle layers cured, two gold treatments formed the subliminal layer. Because of the canvas’s immense size, I had to paint it vertically, only the second creation I’ve ever done this way. I protected the floors and began adding sand-based textures to reflect the passage of time through an hourglass. The upper bar of the equal sign received one texture; the lower bar, another just as different seasons of life carry different textures and weights.

As I painted, I allowed emotions, seasons, and colors to blend pops of vibrancy alongside muted greys, much like the varied experiences within a single day (especially in Bend, where the weather can shift dramatically). A couple days later, I refined the blending with matte gel and matte modeling paste. I then added a subtle concentric circular pattern beginning at the center, reflecting how life can radiate in many directions at any moment. It also nods to a clock without hands, a symbol of the infinite within the finite space of the canvas.

This creation reflects the intersection of time, choice, and opportunity present in every moment. As we reconnect with what matters most, that internal equilibrium affects everyone we interact with, ultimately shaping the larger human community.

Life is full of “what if’s”—each one an opening to rebalance, re-center, and see from a new perspective. May you discover equilibrium internally, and may that experience ripple outward into the world around you. Without further ado…enjoy "Equilibrium!"