The first Bend Fashion week was started by Bryan, Kevin and Elise in 2022. While working at Spoken Moto, I happened to hear the planning committee talking about the upcoming event. I approached Kevin after the meeting wrapped up and informed him “not that I was trying to listen in and overheard him” to ask how I might offer a contribution canvas at their event. He gave me Elise’s contact info and I reached out to her.

A month later, I installed my art at Spoken Moto and saw Kevin again and walked him through the process and shared my approach.

After an email discussion with Elise, and a follow up conversation with Leah from Open Space, we settled on me installing the evening of and me bringing a contribution canvas to the event. I began interacting with models from the event who contributed. All throughout the night, I shared my work and art with the community as many of them were waiting in in the drink line. 

I interacted with many guests including models, realtors, artists and asked them to contribute their “creative inspiration” to the canvas. John Gidley, a model at the event was the first to add to the canvas. There was a woman that had just broken her back and added the words “Fierce Healing.” It was so beautiful to hear her approach to how she was healing her body. Speaking with the community, there were people sharing what they really felt in terms of the community. Community is something VERY important to me and I regularly share in Bend that “Bend has a lot to offer, and I’m here to contribute.” I invite others to think about what they can contribute.

After the Subliminal layer hung in my apartment for months, I began to paint. I spent an hour adding yellow and red and orange, green and blue, all really vibrant colors. After I captured that layer, I decided to add another layer of paint and cover it up. One thing I share about painting is, just like in life, you get to discover what is supposed to present itself. I had a newer texture tool that I wanted to try and do a “bravery test” like Bob Ross used to suggest. I took the tool and began scraping off the paint I had added for over an hour and as soon as I scrapped it away those vibrant colors underneath shown through. It was so cool to see the vibrant red and oranges peeking through. There is a spot in the lower third that says the words “you are loved.”