My 100 Dresses

An on-going series of painting and poetry inspired by a children's book.

The Story

As a little girl, I stumbled upon a book called, The One Hundred Dresses, written by Eleanor Estes. This beautiful book from the 1940's teaches children about the sneaky ways we make our neighbor “the outsider,” and how love and creativity have the power to dismantle hate. There was just one problem. The book didn't have pictures of the dresses, and for the romantic child I was, this was tragic...

Fast forward to December 2022, and I am painting women in dresses and asking God what to do with them. At that moment, a quiet memory returned of a children’s book with dresses and how I had so wished there were pictures of those dresses. And suddenly, a curious whisper asked,

“What if you painted all 100 of them?”

How to Experience the Collection

Being a storyteller at heart, I am creating this ongoing collection in chapters, each one telling a unique story through art and poetry. Wander through the galleries below like you would through a really good book.

CHAPTER 4

The Mercy of Rain

Paintings 27-29
Experience the Collection

At a Glance

Chapter 4, “The Mercy of Rain,” is a collection of three paintings and poems that tell the tender story of finding growth within the rainy seasons.

CHAPTER 3

The Flower Harvest

Paintings 22-26
Experience the Collection

At a Glance

Chapter 3, The Flower Harvest, is a challenge, gentle and firm, to both acknowledge our longings while choosing to live fully, wildly, and beautifully in our present.

CHAPTER 2

The Audacity of Gardening

Paintings 17-21
Experience the Collection

At a Glance

Audacity is the belief, that despite the presence of evil, lasting change for good is possible.

CHAPTER 1

Naive Confidence

Paintings 1-16
Online Experience Coming Soon