Shawl Dancer Process
(Ladies Fancy Shawl is the newest form of Native American Women's Dance)
The colors and exciting movement reflect the Shawl Dance

I feel that in memory of the American Indian Culture my heart needed to honor the souls of the Native Americans who lived in the Napa Valley.

The symbol on the child's headdress represents the Thunderbird. Thunderbird signifies unlimited happiness. May it bring the same to you.

This piece reminds me of the first painting I did when I landed at this location 35 years ago. I had painted faces for 15 years and needed a break. On a giant piece of watercolor paper, I splashed color across the 40"x 60" image and called it "Indian Dreams."

From the moment I moved into this building, I have felt the spirits of the Wappo Indians. The Gallery was across the street from what was once Vichy Springs and seems a likely place for the original settlers in this area.

A Little Napa Valley History
Wappo villages were led by a chief, male or female, who was chosen for life. The villages were usually located along creeks, and were composed of oval grass-thatched houses. They were generally very peaceful, except for occasional warfare with the Pomo and struggles against Spanish incursions in the Napa Valley.

The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan (meaning "Fairy Valley") Indian Village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and panthers for many centuries.

I believe the earth is holy and precious around me and just like this child, it holds the secrets of generations past, present and future. I honor the earth with this painting.

Process Paintings for Boy Buddha Brings Serenity

Everyday we are all faced with a path we have not known before. There is no normal or familiar existence as we have all experienced in the past.

This can be considered either an adverse or adventurous road.

Painting all these new reflections during a time of uncertainty exemplifies this choice we make as we walk together these days.

I started this palette knife piece a month ago and I loved all the color and movement and actually thought this is beautiful just like it is.

To my surprise, I picked it up the last week and I could see eyes peeking out from behind the stripes of vibrant color. They grew into faces of young woman of all ethnicities.

I sat with the image for a day and then came across a face I loved while I was working on my piece about Tibet. It spoke to me and seems to say,

"Quiet Moments.
Peace enters the pocket of your core and you hear the truth."

This was something I wrote for the Mustard books I created years ago, yet it resonates even more today.

This sweet child's face helps me breathe out and relax even when fear tries to creep into my head.
He reminds me to make each day an adventure!

Jessel Process for Angel Enlightenment

This Madonna Like Spirit arrived and I simply spent the time enhancing her calming face and letting the chaos around her remain.

There is a hidden face that actually appeared naturally from the splatter and I just pushed it a tiny bit. I think of these two souls as the extreme opposite energy fields
we as a world deal with every day. The light and dark that exist and always has existed on the planet. Angel Enlightenment is the eternal voice of reason and love.
I choose Love First and all the rest will fall into place.

I learn new techniques every day doing this "Stream of Consciousness" work. I find that if I try to drive the direction of the painting, or force the hand, I have a much harder time getting to the kernel of truth I am seeking. You can see my process for this painting on the website.

Jessel Process for Moonlight Becomes You

To truly let go to the paint and paper or canvas, I feel I need to be in neutral.
Sometimes I push the process and every time I do, the struggle is much greater.
So, as in life, I must learn to let go and let the path unfold before me instead of always trying to mind my steps and know the answers now!
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The monkey spirit animal is a powerful symbol of good luck. This is because it represents a playful and lighthearted version of yourself. The meaning of the monkey seeks to awaken your youthful and cheerful spirit, and the inner child in you.

The spiritual meaning of a giraffe, the placid power animal, is anything but ordinary. Also called 'Africa's gentle giant', the giraffe symbolizes grace, peace, individuality, protection, communication, perception, and farsightedness.

Wisdom of the Elders

Each piece I complete in this new body of work, takes me to a place in the world I have not had the good fortune to visit.

Japanese Dream came out of an abstraction that had movement and strokes that felt like Japanese symbols. (See the start of the piece and the symbols)

After sharing the image with a friend, I felt that the face overlooking the piece was of a young woman strong and powerful, being guided by the quiet elder below her.
The elder is holding a picture of her past in a world long ago and the interesting part of this vision is that I feel the elder is teaching the headstrong young woman the ways of her world: Respect, Honor, Kindness and Honesty.

When the painting was completed, I searched the Japanese symbols to see which one aligned with my original abstract, and the symbol for "Learn" was clear to me..

We all are learning so much these days as we go through all the emotions we humans are experiencing right now. This painting takes me to a place surrounded by my elders and comforts me in knowing they are still out there teaching me lessons.

"Have faith" said my Aunties who loved me so much. "Find the humor in something," my Uncles would say as they laughed and played with me.
"Be Brave and be Creative," my Mother would whisper since she was one of the most powerful lights in my life and "Take care of others," my Father the Doctor commanded in his devoted direction in life.

So for me this painting represents the Wisdom of the Elders and how we can learn by simply listening to them in our minds eye.
Stream of Consciousness

This painting was one of those experiences I struggled to find what I call the "Truth or the Message." If you look below at the bottom of the page you will see where this piece started months ago.

I liked the feel of the colors yet there was no clear focus or meaning and so I let it sit. One day my hand found it in a stack of new pieces that had question marks on them. This new road I am on has signs and signals if I just listen and breathe yet some days it takes a friend saying SLOW DOWN to get me centered and ready to tackle the truth the piece wants to reveal.

I had certain elements in the piece (see the image below) with the leopards. parrots and a mini landscape that actually appeared on the paper when I first started this piece.

The piece felt disjointed and confusing and to be honest it took my sweet husband who when he saw it said" It needs a lion." Majestic Majesty was born.
It was not until I extended the mini landscape onto the dress of the seated woman that the piece made sense. I loved the little leopard yet it stood out like a sore thumb until the landscape was behind it.

This painting taught me far more than I expected. I need to let things unfold and not push myself. It is not in my nature to sit still yet the lion spends many hours in pensive meditation. I have much to learn and each of my new works is a life lesson and I share this with you with love. Breathe with me...slow ..in and out!

if Lion enters your life, you may experience your own true, radiant selves – your soul – rising to the surface.

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Lion Symbolism


The lion represents and means many things. Some of these things are family, cooperation, and community. Lion people need to understand that one’s well-being is based on living and working in harmony with others, without giving up one’s individuality.
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I have set up a private room in the gallery for people who might want to come see this new work. It is safe and has its own door. Those who have visited all say the same thing. The paintings are so much brighter and better in person. It is hard to get the full effect on a phone or screen. I invite you to visit any day.

I am doing a social distancing tour of the new art (with face masks.) If you feel like stopping by, give me a call. 707-257-2350

Some Images just paint themselves and reveal a story when I have had a moment to sit with the final piece.

This is an example of one of those complicated images with lots of characters.
Angels, Golden Retriever and a Goddess with a giant headdress, all brightly painted on what started as an orange background. Check out the process at: Artistic Process Page

Below is a beautiful wisdom about butterflies and what they represent in our lives.
We are all free to float and walk and sleep and gently find our way through a world wide crisis. I hope today you take just a few moments to let go of the stress and strain of the news and open your wings to the beautiful clear sky and float on a breeze.

I am doing a social distancing tour of the new art (with face masks.) If you feel like stopping by, give me a call. 707-257-2350