The Art Gallery of Gratitude!

Starting February-2021: Anyone who hosts a fundraiser for Avery's Garden will have an opportunity to take a "walk" through our virtual art gallery below and choose 1 piece of art to receive as a thank you gift!!

Here are just a few conditions.

Your fundraiser must raise at least $100.00 to be eligible.

2. All paintings are going to be first come first serve for the picking. Once your fundraiser ends, you can pick your painting. (If a painting has been selected, it will be indicated that is no longer available.)

3. I will also honor custom requests made ahead of time.

All I ask is that you tag or reach out to Avery's Garden during your fundraiser at some point so we can be a part of the fun!

How can you help? Here are some tips to help us be successful!

Let’s get fundraising!
1. Social media fundraisers/ crowd funding are great! Facebook for example, does not have any fees for Nonprofits and we get all the money you raise. Use this for birthdays or milestone dates to engage family and friends.
2. Fundraiser events such as bake sales, cooking competitions, ice cream socials, etc.
3. Add us to your side-hustles! Donate a portion of your proceeds to help us grow.
4. Local tournaments, concerts, auctions, or trivia nites.
5. Host a yard sale or block garage sale party!
6. Host a run/walk, marathon, virtual race, steps competition- with participants and sponsors.
7. Host a workout challenge with an entry fee and spit the proceeds.
8. Host a “split the pot” where participants donate $5 towards large pot and proceeds get spit to winner and our nonprofit.
9. Host live stream events, online galas, wedinars, virtual tours, virtual comedy nights,
10. Challenge friends to a peer-to-peer event: Shave your head, grow a beard, polar plunge, ice bucket, etc. Participants raise funds and donate proceeds.

Art shown in this photo is not mine, but the photo taken is my work.

Broken Things Still Grow- Raised $250.00!

Painting no longer available.

16x24 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted February 2021

I've been an artist my entire life. Going through periods of time when I was drawn to one medium over another. The most recent, definitely being the drawings that I do in ink within Avery's Grief Journal. Nothing beats that feeling of fresh ink on a brand new page. The perfect start to honoring each baby that we love instantly. Last year, I began to paint again. And actually take it serious...dedicating real time to finding my sweet spot. Harnessing the true meaning of creative grief and how this rejuvenated part of me could be shared amongst our tribe. Last night, I finished the piece of heARTwork you see. Titled "Broken Things Still Grow. The original grief photo was taken in March 2017. 9 months after Avery died. We visited Puerto Rico and toured a giant fortress that had a plant growing out of a crack. In that moment, I stood, took the photo and understood this plants determination to grow. That despite being covered in rock and heavy weight, it still was able to create itself a condition in which it could flourish. On it's own terms. And, in fact, a lot like us.

Sleeping Poppies- Raised $1,500.00!

Painting no longer available.

Poppies have long represented remembrance, peace and death. The inspiration of this painting came from a photograph I took at a local walking park many years ago. During my research on how poppies could be applied in the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Community, I found a reference from the Wizard of Oz. In the movie, the characters stumble on a poppy field that is intended to make them sleep forever.

So many of the babies we honor within Avery’s Garden, were in fact born sleeping. My son being one of them. So it seemed only right to honor our stillborn sleeping angels and all the rest who had to fly away too soon with this piece of heartwork.

Spread Your Wings- Raised $300.00!

Painting no longer available.

16x24 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted February 2021 (metallic paints used in the wings)

This painting was inspired by our angels. The background is painted in a mixture of creams, light pink, light blue, pale grey and white. I dry brushed gold flecks that looks really pretty against the white metallic of the angel wings. This piece is in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss.

Ring of Tulips- Available

11x14 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted March 2021
We can take a walk, to a place I have tucked away. It is special because it is ours.
This painting is inspired by Sedona with a secret spot I created as if Avery’s Garden existed there. A ring of tulips offers a place for meditation of a quiet place to be with your thoughts.
I wanted to add some whimsy, as if hanging out with the angels and Peter Pan, so I also painted in some twinkling café lights. Inspired by the original lights we have in our actual garden for Avery.

Through the Crocus and the Blue Bells. -Raised $100.00!

**Painting no longer available.**
11x14 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted March 2021
One morning I went off in a daydream through Avery’s forest. Where our tree house is. I stopped among the birch trees where it is Spring with signs of Crocus and Blue Bells that cover the forest floor. It’s magical.
**“White Crocus** flower is a symbol of purity, truth and innocence. This flower is usually used as wedding decoration. The yellow **Crocus** flower is a symbol of cheerfulness and joy and it is a beautiful piece of decoration in your home or a beautiful gift for someone who needs a little bit of happiness in their life.”
“Usually, **bluebell** flowers symbolize gratitude and humility. However, they can also symbolize constancy and everlasting love. Almost always, **bluebells** are **blue** and they're one of the most common flowers with **blue** color.”
“Quoted information from Google.

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Wings- Raised $300.00!

**Painting no longer available**
11x14 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted March 2021
A set of pink, blue and white wings in honor of all our lost babies.
Some background on the colors:
“The color psychology of **pink** is unconditional love and nurturing. ... The psychological **meaning** of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion. **Blue** is the color of trust and peace. It can suggest loyalty and integrity as well.”
“Quoted information from Google

20210409_073343[1].jpg — Wildflowers on the Mountainside- Available

16x20 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted April 2021
This piece was inspired by an afternoon daydream. It is Spring in Avery’s Garden and while I was thinking of our flowers growing, I found us wandering around the mountainside.
In my heart, our angels travel near and far. They find special hidden places and whisper them to me to show the world.

20210411_093626[1].jpg — My View in Springtime- Raised $540.00!

**No longer available.**
Last year, my husband and I decided to purchase a Serviceberry Tree.
“The service part of the name comes from old Appalachian mountain tradition. The blooming of **Serviceberry** signal the time of the year when snows melted and the roads became passable – allowing preachers to take to them and marry young couples in Spring.”
I looked out my dining room window and painted the tree and our fencing behind it. The rose bush was added later on and always makes me think of some of the special angels we have honored in Avery’s Garden.

20210415_153603%5B1%5D.jpg — Fresh Cut Flowers from Avery’s Garden- Available

11x14 Canvas, Acrylic paints- Painted April 2021
This piece was inspired by an abstract bouquet of flowers that I saw for a few days- dancing through my mind. I included a lot of vibrant colors to showcase how bold and amazing our heavenly flowers are. There is an iridescent gold within the vase, adding a reflection and interest that draws in the eye.

Blooming Through- Available

11x14 Canvas, Watercolor & Acrylic Paints- Painted April 2021
~Because life is more fun when you wake up and just want to spend your time creating something beautiful.~
This painting was inspired in the early hours of a Saturday morning. A reminder perhaps that we are all blooming through things that we often don’t talk about. There is a level of beauty that can be found, even when life gets a little messy. This piece also encourages thoughts of flower bouquets.

Flowering Crabapple Blossoms- Available

16x20 Canvas- Acrylic paints- Painted April 2021
~A little reminder that beauty and destruction are best suited together.~
Our home has a flowering crabapple tree that turns bright pink every year. The tree has become a part of Avery’s story, as I believe his cardinal lives there and nests with Mrs. Cardinal. I stopped one afternoon to stare at all the beautiful blooms and thought it would make the most beautiful piece of art.
I chose to make it abstract and messy to show the juxtaposition of beauty and destruction. How even though things in our lives might seem like too much at times, there is always something that can be seen and felt from each experience we enter. Then it is up to us how to process the story. Do we choose to see nothing but destruction…or do we choose beauty and love?

Placed Upon My Door- Available

12 x 16 Acrylic On Canvas
Inspired by a door I stopped at to admire in Cortona, Italy. It is meant to symbolize the beauty and despair that often gets placed upon our doors. Some baggage is lighter than others, and for those moments we are thankful.

Sunset Over Calming Waves- Available

16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas
Walk with me beside the ocean. Where the sun is settling in for the night. A show that seems only for us. We'll sit on the soft sand, nestle in among the tall grasses and watch until the moon joins us. When we speak, it will only be to comment on the waves. How they crash, where they choose to roll. And how beautiful they are just standing still.

The Tender Rose- Pending Availability

16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas
Inspired by The Little Prince, by French aristocrat, writer, and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. This rose is so valuable because there is no other in the world like it. Just like our babies. They truly are like special flowers of the universe.

A Heart To Hold- Available

16 x 20- Acrylic on Canvas
This piece is inspired by the torn and tattered hearts in the bereavement community. Even though we feel as if our hearts are always being affected by the sadness, each of us still possesses a very unique and beautiful heart. One that belongs to us and tells our very personal stories.
I chose to also include pinks and blues in honor of the pregnancy and infant loss colors.

In The Weeds- Raised $508.00!

**No longer available.**
Some days we are just stuck in the weeds. Our grief hits stronger than expected and before you know it, your sitting knee deep in the waves and water. But that’s ok. That place doesn’t need to be scary…it can in fact be a resting place for your thoughts to catch up to your heart leading. From the grass, we see a distant sun set and breathe deeply that the water will recede once again.

Be The Light- Available

16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas
If you can't find the light, then be the light.
From there, all you have to do is look within instead of searching for it in any other place that may not exist as truly as when you built it yourself.

We'll Stop And Pick Flowers- Raised $75.00!

No longer available.
On the open road, our hair blowing in the breeze, we see an open field. Flowers flow like the ocean to a tree lined distance.
I suggest we go pick the wildflowers, make big bouquets and inhale their sweet smells together.
It's in this moment, a detour, a pause, that we love, laugh, experience the gifts of this earth and the bounty that often unfolds before our eyes. Time stands still and no worries exist in our adventure.
And, even when the road is neverending, and the wildflowers seem to have all gone dry, remember that somewhere a seed is bringing life once again. You have the power to seek that if you let your heart be the guide.

Between The Willows and Cacti- Available

16x20 Acrylic on Canvas
A few nights ago I sat under my willow trees and thought about life. How sometimes we get stuck between two places that can make us feel like it will be that way forever. How often I know I personally have taken one single event and applied it to the entire narrative of my life. Saying "it is what it is" this is just "how it will be forever". And then I would, without thinking, just toss myself back into the flames.
The truth is, our minds take us back to whatever is most comfortable. Even if that means taking us in our present states and making us feel like our past traumas are our current realities. Our minds, if use to chaos, will return again and again because that's where our deep truths and vulnerabilities are. It feels comfortable even when it no longer is supposed to.
It's hard work in healing when you have to remove the PTSD veil and talk your own self away from the narratives sometimes. It takes an immense amount of self love to say no, do not go backwards. Stay here. This is our new normal.
As I sat under the willow, I also wished desperately that I was back in one of my favorite places on this earth. And for those who know me, you know that half my heart belongs in Sedona. It's where much of my growth happened a few years ago and where I go in my mind when I want to reconnect to my heart.
So, instead of townhomes and street lights, I took us on a path filled with cacti and stars. Just between the willow, a perfect path that takes us back to safety and warmth. Healing. Love and light.
Between The Willows and Cacti is a piece that represents growth in uncomfortable situations and finding those places that call to your spirit.

Sunflowers At Sunset- No longer available.

Last night was one of those challenging moments. I was struggling to find my footing after discussions happened and a new set of circumstances were laid out before me to sort.
How much of this life can be so confusing. I had absorbed the world around me all day and felt at a loss on how to continue working through what emotions I had suddenly surfacing, let alone others. But, I continue to remind myself that how others act is a reflection of them, not me, and I need to stand firm on the reality I have chosen to make for myself.
When I started this painting, I did it with a midnight sky and deep green grass. Referencing a bit of my night run, perhaps. I slowly sketched in the setting sun, dazzled the sky with stars and allowed my pallette knife to move freely while creating the plant stems.
I sat for a while, looking at a field of green wondering exactly where I was going, until I realized where I needed to be. In a field of sunflowers
Sunflowers often point towards eachother when they need light. And yesterday in my dazed state, I found comfort in relationships that have been foraged from my experiences. Other hearts that wanted to point towards me and fill me back up with love and light.
Sunflowers At Sunset represents that even in the darkest of nights, there are those that will love you just as you are. And it will be enough.

In A World Filled With Roses- Available

14x14 Acrylic on Canvas
In a world filled with roses, we often look for ways to stand out. To be unique and different than the others growing beside us.
At least that is my aspiration. To be that rose that is just a little more aggressive. Willing to push through messy situations to shine, as it is intended we all do.
I started with a pale pink background adding a thick layer of paint to swirl in the texture of rose petals. Then came in with a pallette knife and went over the bumps and ridges with bolder colors. Adding just a small bit of turquoise and white as the air that keeps us breathing.
When I was finished with this piece I couldn't help but get drawn to the right "wave" as I am calling it. This streak brings forth the images in my mind of a dozen roses floating across a vast body of water. And it's in these thoughts that I suddenly find comfort.
I see myself floating with the roses, staring straight up into a blue and white cloud filled sky. The water is cooling, gentle, and smells like floral and salt.
Today's wonderment is, in a world filled with roses, where are yours heading?

Running With Fireflies and Freedom- Available

16x20 Acrylic on Canvas
I started this painting last week with nature still in my heart. Truth be told, my heart and mind have been spending quite a bit in the forest lately. Examining and re-examining myself with careful consideration. Watching my thoughts in those moments and understanding why they present themselves for my contemplation.
I wanted to layer up the trees. Adding the raw more weathered trees in the background, with a fresh view becoming our focal point. How so much of life can be like that. Murky. Strange. Unpredictable. The background blurring over time.
I imagined myself, barefoot, running amongst the fireflies and thick green brush. I know I would feel a sense of freedom and wonder that often orchestrates in the background of my own desires. Freedom. Being fearless. Living a life that I find the most fulfilling in the time I am blessed to have on this earth.

On The Water- With You- Available

16x20 Acrylic on Canvas
Sometimes I wonder if the reason why I am connected to vast open waters, and the forest, is that it brings with it the feelings of being small in an otherwise huge world. I like that feeling. When everything is grand and opens your senses. It's easy to get completely wrapped up in the air, the smells and nurturing it can have on our nervous systems.
Since I was young, I loved being on the water. But it wasn't until I was faced with grief that it brought new meaning. So much of nature did, really. In losing Avery, there was a deep connection that grew in my heart that belongs only to the wild now.
While we were in Wisconsin, I took a few photos of the forest that met the lake. That is where this piece started. But the more I painted, the more I realized I was in a new place all together. Cruising the open waters through my canvas and finding our perfect place to rest.
I wanted to imagine us looking into the treeline from the water as it started to cascade into a waterfall. The pallette knife streaks meant to bring the water down, flowing towards the viewer.

You Are My Sun- Available

14 x 14 Acrylic on Canvas
You Are My Sun is intended to be a vibrant reminder of love and light.
I started off with darker browns and golds and continued to layer colors little by little. Representing how we soak in the warmth. Gently. There is a touch of red around the outside canvas that evokes even more love.
I added some flecks of gold and silver as I was layering in the colors which adds an interactive glistening throughout.

Sunset Over The Fields- Available

14 x 14 Acrylic on Canvas
We all look for moments of peace. We search for it to stop the noise, and witness beauty that fills us with light.
I thought about how much I enjoy that time for myself. When I can release a smile without fear of guilt or expectations. Just me and the sun.
Sunsets are a release. For many as they watch the sun go down, it's a reminder that gentle rest leads to brand new days.
In this piece, I imagined looking over fields from the top of a hill. The colors in the background have just a hint of stars as well.