Mea Culpa
24 x 30"
acrylic on canvas
Art Encounter, Las Vegas, NV


The painting, Mea Culpa (latin for “my fault”) holds a literal and figurative meaning. Salty tears, and fractured foundations are depicted. While we were in California the sky cried for five days. Those tears collected into cliffs. Cliffs split into waterfalls. Waterfalls carved canyons. Canyons opened up to streams. And streams poured into the Pacific, which crashed against rocky cliffs.

Due to earthquake activity, there is a common misconception that California could eventually break off and fall into the ocean. The, six hundred mile, San Andreas Fault runs the length of the California coastline, however instead of falling, the land is actually moving northward. Regardless of which direction the land is moving it is still moving. Between earthquakes and mudslides, this large stretch of land is known for its unstable ground.


Parallels can be made in any person’s life. If the foundation is weak, there will always be hardships faced because of it. We can add to our life, but it will only be a matter of time before the underlying issues need to be addressed. Sorrow often ensues.

For this reason, the waterfall appears as a tearing eye. While visiting beautiful Yosemite, I dealt with deeply rooted family secrets haunting me from afar. While taking a picture, I noticed the reflection of a waterfall that appeared in my eye, and the concept was born. Through wildflowers and redwoods, Hollywood and the Golden Gate Bridge, this became the focus of my painting.

There is a fantasy-like feel to California. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. Even surrounded by all of that beauty, I find myself here again, laying out the pain caused by a faulted foundation.