My parents had these azaleas and other shrubs planted in 1974 at the home where I grew up. In the first twenty-four years, the plants were fed, watered, and winterized. But in the last eighteen years, the azaleas received no special care since my parents had moved. Watered only by rain, the plants still bloomed with vibrant color every spring. These azaleas had attained a height of at least eight feet in spite of weeds and rogue saplings trying to overtake the flower beds. I took this photograph in April of 2016, which was the last spring these shrubs would ever bloom, as the house had to be leveled the following December. Inspired by Matthew 2:28b-29…

Mountain Biking, here, on a local feature The Masterpiece, is a way to build confidence, develop coping skills, and can be depression lifting, anxiety decreasing, and stress relieving from our daily worries. Original watercolor painting, drawn with colored and watercolor pencils, with archival varnish, 8×10, with 11×14 mat and framed. $100

Art and creativity have always been a part of my life. Even from a young age I found comfort in anything that allowed me to use my hands to create something. Having dealt with anxiety and depression for years, being creative has been a way for me to just find solace and a way to express myself. The pieces here are a few examples of the different mediums I’ve tried over the past few years; alcohol inks, acrylic pour, acrylic swipe.

Artist Statement Mary Ann Echols When viewing my art, I hope people see JOY! HAPPINESS! DELIGHT! LIFE! My aim is for people to see, smile, and experience these happy emotions as they pass by the piece hanging on a wall or resting on a shelf. To know me is to know I’m not just all color and whimsy. I love to be inspired! I love deep and hard conversations. And when I paint, inspiration comes from everyday things —everyday creation and objects around me, scripture, and lovely, deep conversations with my Creator. That doesn’t mean I always start in a happy place, but it usually means I end up in…

These are a few of my favorite original acrylic works. I am inspired by wildlife, nature and making memories with my family.

Liz Cox is an artist working in acrylic, mixed media, alcohol ink, and hand-made paper. Her work ranges from semi-abstract natural landscapes to more textural intuitive paintings which invite the viewer to interpret the work. The canvas or paper record the dialog between the artist and the “blank page”. Her marks and forms create a type of visual language uniquely interpreted by each individual viewer. Many of her paintings are layer upon layer of color, texture, markings, glazes or paper that create depth and a sense of history…that something else came before the layer seen on the surface. Each layer guides the next.

Liz Cox is an artist working in acrylic, mixed media, alcohol ink, and hand-made paper. Her work ranges from semi-abstract natural landscapes to more textural intuitive paintings which invite the viewer to interpret the work. The canvas or paper record the dialog between the artist and the “blank page”. Her marks and forms create a type of visual language uniquely interpreted by each individual viewer. Many of her paintings are layer upon layer of color, texture, markings, glazes or paper that create depth and a sense of history…that something else came before the layer seen on the surface. Each layer guides the next.

Recovery is like a book with different chapters. Sometimes those chapters reflect on the events of the past building into the present story and shared the emotions of the present. Each chapter can reflect the different feelings of joy, pain, or grief. My art ebbs and flows like chapters or the changing of seasons. Different life events or plot twists are like the changes of colors or the media used you can see how my media changes but still sticks with the traditional of painting here. The greatest influences on my art include my father who has been a local sign painter and interior designer for decades, several of my…