Invitations Answered

Dec 6th, 2-5 Opening Reception

Dec 13th 2 Artist Talk and Demonstration

Dec 6th - Jan 10th

An invitation preceded each of these paintings, sometimes expressed in writing, or a suggestion from a passerby, and other times in a voice of the heart or a fleeting glance from the road. The more time I spent reflecting on the title "Invitations Answered," the more came to mind, taking me further in, each invitation in its own way,  a wave of encouragement, carrying me from one place to the next.

What begins as invitations to come and stay, to see, to paint a place, becomes invitations to share in the lives of others. This hospitality happens with both planned and spontaneous meetings. Often, there is a very real sense that the places have been prepared, as though they were waiting for my arrival, anticipating it.

As I tugged at the thread of invitation, it brought paintings of disparate places together in a spirit of hospitality. Rather than standalone trips, these paintings are links in a chain, interconnected and tethering me with the lives of others, and they to one another, through these paintings, which anchors us a bit in our otherwise far-too-fast and fleeting lives.

The artist will be present at the opening reception on Saturday, December 6 from 2-5 pm. Joshua Cunningham will give an artist talk + demonstration at Groveland Gallery on Saturday, December 13, starting at 2 pm. The exhibition runs concurrently with Painting Without Words by Lauren Stringer. Both shows continue through January 10, 2026.

"But I also say this: that light is an invitation to happiness, and that happiness, when it's done right, is a kind of holiness, palpable and redemptive."

— From "Poppies" by Mary Oliver