Beholding Beauty in The In-Between
February arrived in a way our little coastal town doesn’t often see, wrapped in snow. The winter storm brought quite a bit of snow, in fact.
For a few days, a white (but very cold) blanket covered the sand completely and met the sea. This is always such a magical sight to me. It is a tradition in our family to go to the beach to experience the snow touching the ocean. It was beautiful in its own unexpected way, though this beach girl will always welcome warm sunny days back.
And yet… there was something fitting about creating a golden hour painting in the middle of winter. Because this new piece, The In-Between, was born from a season of slowing down.
Returning to the Studio
After stepping back from social media for most of January, I found myself returning to the heart of my studio practice with fresh clarity.
Painting without rush, listening closely, following intuition, and letting ideas unfold in their own time. There is something sacred about creating from that place. Not striving, not forcing. Simply paying attention and responding to inspiration and the call to create.
This painting came together slowly, layer by layer, much like the season that inspired it.
Golden light stretching across the marsh.
Clouds gathering depth and movement overhead.
Reflections from the sky settling into the water below.
It seeks to capture the beauty between an ending and a beginning.
The Inspiration Behind The In-Between
This piece was inspired by golden hour along the marsh and Intracoastal waterways near our home in coastal North Carolina. The sun setting at the close of day always feels like an invitation to pause.
It is the space where light meets darkness.
Where day dissipates into night.
It is a beautiful transition that makes room for what is coming next.
So much of life happens in these in-between spaces.
Waiting.
The unknown. Uncertainty.
Becoming. Transformation.
And yet, there is beauty there too — if we are willing to slow down long enough to notice it.
A Painting Paired with Poetry
For the first time in my creative practice, this artwork was created alongside a companion poem. The words emerged so naturally as the final layers of paint were brushed on. It was almost as if the painting itself was speaking and inviting language to follow.
The poem reflects the same themes held within the artwork:
Waiting.
Hope.
Formation.
Light that lingers even when the sky begins to dim.
I love the idea that some collectors may choose to display the painting and poem side by side. Together, they are visual and written stories completing the artwork.
A Season of Reflection
It feels especially meaningful that The In-Between art and poem will be on display during the season of Lent at Hope Community Church.
Lent is traditionally a time set aside for reflection, prayer, and preparing the heart. It is a season that invites us to slow down, surrender distractions, and make space for spiritual renewal. It felt deeply aligned to create this piece with Lent in mind.
Because this painting is, at its core, an invitation to pause.
To notice God’s presence in seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and the unknown.
To trust that something is forming, even when we cannot yet see the full picture.
To rest in the knowledge that light remains — steady and present — even as shadows gather.
My desire is that this pair will bring a sense of hope and encouragement to those who are living in these in-between moments.
An Invitation to Behold
If there is one message woven through both the painting and the poem, it is this:
Beauty is not only found in the arrival.
It lives in the middle spaces too.
In the waiting.
In the becoming.
In the (often) hard moments that bring formation and something new.
So wherever this season finds you — in transition, in hope, in uncertainty, or in anticipation — my prayer is that this piece serves as a reminder:
There is beauty here too.
Explore The In-Between
Fine art prints of The In-Between and its companion poem are now available in my online shop. Each print is created from a professional, high-resolution scan and printed on museum-quality paper or canvas using archival inks to preserve the richness and depth of the original painting.
If this piece speaks to you, I would be honored to have it live in your home as a daily invitation to pause and behold beauty in the in-between.
Explore The In-Between prints by clicking here.
