The Five Species of Salmon" : an Acrylic + oil painting collection

Salmon garner a level of respect from me and so many others in the industry who have grown up sustained by them. Plus, we live in a pretty fake world which is why having a story is everything: conscious consumers want an authentic story behind what they consume and I think one of the most authentic foods you can eat is wild salmon. It’s truly one of the most remarkable animals in the world—in both its rich nutritional content and it’s impressive life cycle. Think about it: a pen pig is ready for slaughter at 250lbs in just the first 6months of their life, whereas salmon reach maturity in 3-5 years with a mere yet mighty 7lbs to them—all the while getting lots of exercise and dodging predators for years! So, when my dad catches them in their prime on their way to the spawning grounds to pass on their rich genes—YOU are eating those fish that have survived. It’s survival of the finest out there and your body feels it every time you consume wild salmon. One just can’t feel the same way when consuming pork or other meat. Still an enigma in the midst of all the scientific gains we have in this modern day, biologists have yet to pin down their lives in the wilds of the open ocean where they roam free and become adults.

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THE LUXURY OF NOT GIVING A DAMN

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference” -ELIE WieSEL

I had this scene from Home Alone come to mind because it is so often what we view as the quintessential definition of protecting our physical property. Well, I think it’s interesting that the more effective “ammo” we use to protect our peace — that special property in our minds, not our material assets like in Home Alone — is a special intangible ammo called indifference. Most people would not call indifference an active defense mechanism — after all it’s a noun, not a verb — yet it very much is. I believe that in a world full of feeling a lack/comparison state of mind and FOMO on social media along with a scarcity mindset in dating is that indifference is the most liberating, self preservation state of mind we can be in.

Why? Because you only have so much real estate in your head and when certain things or people are occupying it then you can’t build up real-estate you have with other worthwhile people and things that are more enriching to your soul. It’s like you are kept in this pergatory state of mind. Indifference is the a catalyst to get you over the mountain of despair and gaslighting. Whether that gaslighting is self generated from battles of self worth you face within or those subtle yet so insidious accusations by other people, you are using your free will and personal agency to consent to who and what occupies that space in your head. Once you take ownership of your thoughts and treat them the same as defending your material property, you’ll be more judicious of what you allow in. Like a paradigm shift, getting to that stark yet enigmatic place of indifference will, by default, make you free and confident to move forward.

NO ONE CAN MAKE YOU FEEL INFERIOR WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT -ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

Sometimes we are called to an active state of defense to protect that peace of mind: could be calling out someone’s bluff when they are messing with your head or seeking closure, maybe playing it cool and “remaining just friends” (never mind the tension and resentment that comes from that because men and women can never be just friends in majority of cases) but I think we should start including the art of indifference as a primary defense when it comes to moving on from someone you love. Going Switzerland. Radio silence. No contact. Laissez-faire. There are other words for this passive form of defense and it’s a beautiful thing because it is the least energy draining out of all the ways of protecting your peace. It is the only ammo that doesn’t have to interact — or, as I like to say, “entertain” — the person, thing or addiction we need to cut ties with.

I remember when I thought about food incessently for years — my whole day would revolve around my appetite and it was crippling to my mental health. For example, when I had a burger I had feelings that that burger was actually becoming part of my body and would never burn off — like it was not a source of energy but rather an invasive thing overtaking my body so, in my case, I had to feel guilty about it and then purge it through exercise or throwing up. So I secretly was always jealous of girls who “forgot to eat” or didn’t make a fuss out of treating themselves to something. Looking back, they had a heathy amount of that pivotal indifference I always wanted — it brought about moderation which is another beautiful state of mind and, like indifference, far underrated in a society of intensity, addiction and romanticizing or “milking” a melancholic state of mind.

Getting to that state of indifference is a necessity, yet it is a luxury in the sense that it often takes deep work and time to get there — some people may take years to arrive. It’s a state of mind that everyone steps into when it comes to getting over a man or woman you had feelings for. It is especially novel to limerants and those who have been on the receiving end of unrequited love. Thus, I’ve been trying to enact more ruthlessness in my daily life: not taking things so personally and showing up for my own peace of mind before helping others (which is often at the expense of my own). People intrinsically prey on empathetic minds for a reason: they are more forgiving. But I’m not going to be so forgiving these days, I’m going to be low-key ruthless. I’m going to be indifferent. Like the statue that is unshaken in the harshest of weather, I will not let society and unrequited love tear down my sacred energy and worth. Like basking in a desert oasis after traveling miles, parched by an unforgiving wasteland of ever-looping thoughts and ruminations, THAT is the luxury that comes upon us when we finally attain the mindset of indifference.

That time I created the Seattle Skyline...

I created this massive collage, my first architectural portrait, for a Seattle client back in 2019 when I was living there. They are the family who owns the Space Needle so this was a very special project….Special thanks to Crows Nest Yachts on Lake Union for gifting me all of their recycled boating magazines!

MORGAN FREEMAN: 50 Hours in the Making

Cinema’s finest sage….I’ve always felt that, as a portrait artist, creating Morgan was a rite of passage. In the year 2022 I did just that.

The other oxygen I breathe

“Talent is what a man possesses. Genius is what possesses a man”

-Isaac Stern.

I came across that quote while listening to a documentary on Einstein. I actually listened to 3 docs during the making of this collage which took me around 50 hours. I wanted to feel the depth of who he was and bring that through the art. I’m entranced by high achievers. Perhaps that’s what drives me to keep creating—I don’t know what will happen and that’s what produces an angst in me, like that spur in the horse’s side. I just have to run with this—like the “I didn’t choose art, art chose me” kinda deal.

By the age of 33, I surpassed the 10,000 hour masters mark. That averages out to an hour every day since the age of three years old when I first started drawing. Ask my parents, my friends, my former roomies. They saw me creating  my art ALL THE TIME. Even though I got voted the “Most Likely to be a famous artist” in my 8th grade yearbook, I didn’t take it seriously—actually I was kind of embarrassed because I never thought I would be taken seriously as a traditional-minded girl in a modern world that demanded on center stage the parts of myself that I shut down for so long. I guess I had to catch up to my purpose and what I was capable of.

I’m 99.99% self taught, save for a couple  random drawing and watercolor classes I took as a teenager. I actually never liked classroom art groups, always been a Lone Ranger. It’s always been “me against the music,'“ challenging myself to new heights. For several years now people ask what my hobbies are outside of work (art) and, as most entrepreneurs can attest, I say my hobby is also my work. Both words are synonymous to me. As an artist, it’s just hard to clock in and clock out of this life when it enriches you more than the average occupation. However, I don’t even talk about art when I get together with my friends because that’s my chance to escape from it for a bit because I’m so emerged in it all the time. In fact, I could talk to a stranger for an hour and they would never know I’m an artist.

My prolificness and versatility comes simply from growing up in a very dynamic childhood filled with experiences while still yearning for more meaning and excitement in life due to my whimsical imagination. Veering from this medium to that, from this subject matter to that subject matter—I can’t put me in a box and neither should others. As an auto diadact, my tunnel vision to hone in on my art skills all these years with little outside influence and rearing is the only “box” in which I’ve put myself.

Granted, it’s been a long journey and I’ve had to remain strong under so much solitude, I mean, nobody else in my family or relatives is even a fine artist! The only one I know of is my maternal great grandmother who has a handful of watercolors she did—she didn’t have the luxury to fully pursue her talents growing up during the Great Depression, raising a family and then passing away in her 50s. So I’d like to think I’m picking up where she left off, making her proud up there. So, while I’m definitely possessed, it will be up to critics to give me credence as part of the G club. And if God continues to bless me through this next decade, I know it’s not if but when I’ll find that written in a publication or even in someone’s blog. I want #whitneylanderson to possess the artworld.

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The Other Whitney's

One of my favorite singers Whitney Houston—aptly nicknamed “The Voice”—overshadowed a lot of close seconds during her era. Here are a few that I have come to appreciate after discovering their songs in adulthood (thanks Youtube):

LISA FISCHER “How Can I Ease the Pain?”


Homegirl was a backup singer for like 22 years--and this song was the only blip in her solo singing career. Her high octane voice commanding a room and an audience—reminds me of the powerhouse vocals in Adele’s “Hello” and Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.” She could have rode the grammy wave for this song but she went back in her shell. She felt more comfortable as a backup vocalist—most notable for working with the band The Rolling Stones since 1989 and Luther Vandross for 22 years! The documentary 20 Feet from Stardom talks about all the backup singers, and Lisa Fischer seems to own that space. The documentary referenced the song “Take a walk on the Wild side” by Lou Reed when he sings the lyrics "And the Colored Girls go do da doo doot da doot do..!" in which he was talking about this very thing—back up singers like Lisa giving the seasoning that rock and roll needed!


CHANTAY SAVAGE “Betcha Never Find”

Reminds me of that “Forget Me Nots” song—such a fantastic voice!



Me’LISA my favorite ballad:”Do Me Baby”

What Whitntey Houston did with Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” is the what Meli’sa did with Prince’s “Do Me baby.” She revamped it like an OG. I can’t believe I only discovered this song last year. I remember where I was, too: in the parking lot of an auto mechanics shop waiting on my car to be repaired. It was an otherwise mundane moment that Meli’sa’s song totally immortalized.



SHANICE “Silent Prayer” and “If I Never Knew You” (w/Jon Secada)

Yes, you may know Shanice for her catchy “I Love Your Smile” but her duet with Jon Secada was enchanting!


ATHENA CAGE “Get Up on It” (w/Keith Sweet)

I’ve been loving Kut Klose ever since I discovered them last year! They were like the sister group to TLC and although KK never really climbed to TLC-level of fame, they similarly got shortchanged by their record labels. Keith Sweat, who formed the group, kept Athena in her last name that’s for sure. Thus, she never quite rose to the fame she could have because of the way Keith conducted his girl group of which Athena was the main vocalist. When I listened to this song I was like, whoa who’s voice is that? I can’t believe I had never heard of Athena before, a flower talent that could have bloomed beyond the few songs with Keith for which she is most known.


BRENDA RUSSELL “Piano in the Dark”

I’m not sure which other songs Brenda is known for but I love this song, it’s a beautiful blend of extroverted melody with melancholic undertones.

LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY Vocals for Marky Marks’ “Good Vibrations”


Loleatta MADE that song—Marky Mark’s one hit wonder (and my favorite workout song).



TAMIA “You Put a Move on My Heart”

Yes, my other favorite is “So Into You” but “You Put a Move on My Heart” next level. Tamia shows us her full range of vocals, it kind of reminds me of Whitney’s “You Give Good Love.”