Public Art Commissions

Installation at Joyce Ellington Library, San Jose

Tree, forest and butterfly themes are reiterated in a mural entitled “Metamorphosis – Transformation in the Woods” for the children’s storytelling area. This mural depicts characters from Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood set amid a fanciful forest of tendrils.  A prominent yellow tendril creates a path that connects both “good” and “evil” – which lurks at the edge of each wing.  Hidden messages are playfully rendered, warning Little Red Riding Hood to “Beware”, while encouraging Hansel and Gretel to be “Courageous”. 

Trees and forests have a long tradition in children’s literature, and this community had expressed a strong attachment to the trees that had been on the site.  Using this theme, I created a ‘gateway’ to the Children’s section, entitled “Trees of Knowledge” that transforms the building’s structural columns into stylized trees. I chose to simplify the branches of my design into simple shapes that call to mind butterfly wings.  Playful monkeys and tendrils incorporated into the foliage hearken back to my native Borneo while also symbolizing the interconnected nature of children, parents and community.

Installation at Kaiser Permanente Hospital, Santa Rosa

In 2017, I was asked by Kaiser Permanente if I could create a Sonoma landscape featuring rolling hills with poppies and oak trees. After the 2017 Tubbs fire, I was asked whether I could somehow incorporate a reference to the community support and resilience following the fires. After learning about local fire ecology from workshops and hikes led by Audubon Canyon Ranch and Pepperwood Preserve, I changed my composition to make the California Fire Poppy the focal point of the piece. This rare fire-dependent wildflower symbolized our first responders and a new beginning for those directly impacted by the fires. I surrounded the fire poppy with California Golden Poppies, symbolizing the generous outpouring of community support. The brightened horizon signals a bright future of rebuilding for Sonoma County.

You can read more about the commission from my blog here.

Installation at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford

California Dreamin' is a suite of drawings that invites children on a journey of discovery through six different "life zones" within the state of California: Klamath and Sierra Nevada ranges (montane forest), Lake Tahoe (boreal forest), Big Sur (coastal), Sonoran and Mojave (desert) regions.  In each fanciful diorama, magical tendrils playfully weave throughout representative flora and fauna of a particular "life zone".  Each of the paintings also features a hidden "ambassador" named "Wonder Bug" who playfully invites children to take a closer look. In addition to being a fun, interactive element, the "Wonder Bug" character is based on the larvae (caterpillar) of the California Dogface Butterfly (state insect).  The butterfly (and caterpillar) are symbols of transformation: physical, spiritual, or emotional, which is fundamental to the mission of LPCH.

These paintings are both a celebration of California's amazing biodiversity and a reference to the extraordinary diversity of its residents.  Fundamentally, these paintings are a celebration of life and adapting to your situation or surroundings to thrive!

Installation at Valley Children's Hospital - Madera, CA

This design concept for the Valley Children's Hospital features an imagined view from the Sierras to California’s Central coast.  It highlights California natural treasures: whales, redwoods, vineyards, beach, flora & fauna.  Since this piece was created with children in mind, they are invited to explore the flora and fauna of the Golden State as an element of discovery.  The rabbit and giraffe in the hot air balloon are unofficial mascots of the hospital. Their introduction was inspired by the hospital’s tradition of bringing the Easter Bunny by hot air balloon to greet the patients at Easter.  This element also imbues this composition with a bit of magic.

Installation at Sutter Santa Rosa Hospital Regional Expansion

Sutter Santa Rosa Regional Hospital recently unveiled a new three-story building, part of their two part expansion project first announced in 2019. Nancy Witherell Art, an art consultant firm, was put in charge of locating local artists whose work would represent the beauty and cultural heritage of our Sonoma County. I was thankful that Nancy Witherell reached out to me to include my art in this important expansion, which will serve thousands of our residents. The four works that can be found in the building are Springing Forth I & II; Bloom with a View I & II.