This is Sariah, one of my favorite characters from the Book of Mormon. Well, I should say it’s what I imagine she may have looked like. Her family was commanded by Heavenly Father to leave their home and travel into the wilderness and eventually settle here in America. It’s so neat to read about their struggles and triumphs and about their faith in Heavenly Father. There is a time where even Sariah (who from what I can tell was a very faithful, brave woman) struggled with her faith. It’s encouraging to me to realize that even the strongest among us struggle sometimes and that we all have trials to overcome. I’m so grateful that these people took the time to write about their lives and about the amazing experiences that came to them because they were obedient. I am forever grateful for the Book of Mormon and the strength it brings into my own life.

I don’t know whether or not any of you have noticed but lately my art has been changing. I’m not as concerned about how ‘realistic’ a painting is anymore. I’m much more interested in expressing myself creatively and sharing the way I feel about life and beauty. I want my paintings to flow with emotion and color. I want to drink deeply of the beauty that surrounds me and then create my own unique beauty that hopefully others will drink deeply of. I want my paintings to have a life of there own, not just look ‘real’. I kind of feel like I’m on an artistic journey. That sounds all dramatic, I know, but I love journeys and I constantly want to better myself and that includes (but isn’t at all limited to) my art.