Just as my painting Butter on Toast resembles something comforting in my everyday life, Through the Trees reminds me of afternoons in the park.

I love spreading out my favorite quilt in the grass, one that my aunt made, and lying flat on my back under the shade of the trees. Sometimes, I’m reading, sometimes I’m chatting with Jesús while we people-watch or observe all the little creatures around us. And sometimes, I remember to look up—to lay there and observe what’s above me.

I love looking up through the trees – and noticing how the layers of branches and leaves form an intricate pattern that seems to glow in certain parts from the sunlight. This incredible pattern always forms that can never be replicated by any tree.

When I think about this special phenomenon in nature, available for us to enjoy anytime, for free, I can’t help but think of God’s incredible creativity. When I marvel at the beauty of something like a tree, it strengthens my faith.

As with most of my paintings, I name them at the end. I like doing this because I enjoy the process of seeing a painting evolve in surprising ways - I like learning the bigger story once it’s completed. 

This is how I arrived at the name for Through the Trees. I stepped back from the canvas and could practically hear the sounds of rustling leaves through backlit branches, whispering reminders that I am seen and loved by a God who is so magnificent that he would make every single tree unique.