Reaching
illustration by Nicki Newell
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/c328c332-dd5f-42e6-92ad-db37623a44eb_rw_1200.png?h=a296c6ff51ab241bfb40437b785fe4a8)
This piece is about hope and finding joy even when you aren't where you want to be yet.
This piece is started from a place of discouragement and melancholy, reaching for something that felt too far. As I continued to work on it the piece started to feel more hopeful and the colors changed from deeper blues and fiery reds to a softer and more peaceful palette.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/ef9897ba-dea6-4e6a-9f6d-9f7fd38ef873_rw_1920.png?h=4f3bcea8635c4f4ffd4edab7fbcc4f3b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/66aa02c1-42b3-41c7-8210-4dabd9115b81_rw_1920.png?h=f0dff43881dd5ec78ae13e98a8ebf180)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/e7fd4a10-249e-4d5e-80e2-a7d33d7f65b7_rw_1920.png?h=348c145874ff16df0377a1dd14b8bc28)
I include mushrooms in a lot of my work because they generally grow from something else decaying. I think there is something beautiful about growth coming from the loss of something else.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/d4b134ca-ede0-4dad-a4ac-4ba9fbad7965_rw_1920.png?h=2a975745e9f1d7ae2ac87ba39b3d17e5)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/51752c77-5b60-4574-bd63-981577a15777_rw_1920.png?h=b4a4faba4bcbb9be2c9ba67ff5027bc3)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a92bd795afd0fca74d9147c61a5c18d6/9f82c61c-b515-414d-a59e-9328da39f667_rw_1920.png?h=4b5ef194809366d1e10c873877b4eae8)