Morning Behind You

As an artist, I’ve always been fascinated with nature. Georgia O’Keeffe has been my creative mentor since I was in sixth grade, when I learned about the large scale floral paintings that made her a cultural icon. 

Just as she was ultimately drawn to the desert in New Mexico, it is the endless turquoise waters of the Caribbean, coupled with the rich viridian vegetation infused with bright pops color, that has captivated my soul. 

I’ve been  illustrating the Caribbean since before I ever started traveling to San Pedro—researching the landscape and the wildlife, studying and painting intricate maps of the numerous archipelagos… I created a space of tropical beauty within my uptown Dallas studio.

If you believe in the power of manifestation, then this story will inspire you because it wasn’t more than a year of diving into my Caribbean inspired art that  I start traveling to Belize on a regular basis and, as I write this, I’m sitting at my drafting table in my Boca del Rio condo looking out upon the turquoise water as it shimmers beneath the tropical sun. 

I’m often asked how I earn a living as an artist. From selling prints online, to working with a variety of hotel brands, to founding a women’s advocacy jewelry line, I have a handful of income streams. One of my favorites is the commission work that I do. 

What I love about the commission process, whether I’m painting  a postcard size watercolor or a large scale mural, is getting to work directly with my client, creating custom art and learning about what excites and inspires them. I love learning how to connect with someone on a level where I understand what they’re envisioning so that I can bring it to life.

Of course I absolutely love having full creative license of my own art, but there is a beauty in collaboration that I believe gives the art even more depth.

I recently had the opportunity to do just that for Justin Lambert, aka The Vintage Gringo, a Minnesotan who now owns a number of rental units at La Beliza. We met at a women’s advocacy event where he learned about, and supported, my project: The Love Necklace Campaign, a one-for-one giving Campaign supporting women who are healing from domestic violence. 

As he and I visited, I learned that he had a large wall in one of his units and he was seeking art to replace a painting that had been removed by the previous owner. I immediately threw my name in the hat and asked if I could have a shot at creating art that would enhance his space.

Not being much of an art buff, Justin initially shied away from my proposal, but after running into him a few times and persisting that he work with me, he eventually gave in.

I joined him on the eight mile trek from Boca del Rio up to the lush, lavish grounds of la Beliza. We sat on the veranda of his third floor condo, sipped wine, nibbled on ceviche, gazed upon the reef, and discussed ideas for the large wall that he wanted to fill. I took note of his stately furniture and the deep hues of the upholstery, then tapped into the Georgia O’Keeffe side of my mind and started looking at everything on the other side of the walls.

I asked Justin what he thought about the coconut palms that swayed in the breeze outside his large living room windows. We talked about the birds that fish from the shoreline, just below his veranda, and we talked about the reef, particularly at sunrise.

“It’s my favorite time of day.” Justin lamented. “I come out here every morning and watch the light show.” He showed me a collection of images he’d taken with his iPhone from different mornings… different sunrises each unique in their own way, but all infused with deep reds and oranges that fade into blue violet hues just waiting to be lit up by the heat of the island sun.

Justin and I agreed that I would present him with a minimum of five sketches that would illustrate ideas from our conversation. I returned to my studio and sketched out images of the coconut palms, an underwater reflection of a school of horse eye jacks, a tropical toucan pattern, and an image of the sunrise, just as I’d seen in the pictures he’d shown me.

Several weeks later we sat on his veranda. We sipped wine while gazing upon the reef with the collection of sketches placed before us. He was drawn to elements from each of the sketches, but it was ultimately the sunrise that he connected with.

I returned to my studio to begin the large scale project and after several weeks of back and forth discussion, Justin decided to add two more smaller paintings to either side of the original commissioned piece, to expand the landscape and include pieces from some of the other sketches.

For someone who initially shied away from the idea of developing a creative concept, Justin ultimately guided the project and allowed me to work as a conduit between his vision and the canvas. He has now procured three works of art illustrating the landscape that inspires him each morning

He titled the collection, which hangs on the west wall of his condo, Morning Behind You, and offers prints through his website labeliza.com.

There are many ways to express oneself through the arts and sometimes it comes through the hands of someone else. I’ve been blessed with the skillset and passion to help others bring their ideas to life and what better place to do it than from a drafting table in Boca del Rio, looking out upon the turquoise water as it shimmers under the tropical sun.