Transfiguration

Each day, while walking to my art studio, I pass through the garden of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, where I attend a weekly meditation group.  On these daily walks, I pause for a moment in the church’s magical contemplation garden, where calla lilies and wisteria bloom gloriously each spring.One night, I dreamt that I was creating an oil painting of calla lilies and wisteria for the church. The dream was so powerful that it stayed with me for months.  It seemed to lodge itself permanently in my imagination.  Finally, I shared the dream with Amber Sturgess, Rector of All Saints’ Church, and said to her “I want to find a way to make the painting become real.”

And so, from my daily walks and a vivid dream that would not fade, emerged Transfiguration, which was installed in the nave of All Saints’ Episcopal Church on July 26, 2026 as part of the church’s 75th anniversary celebration.

Nine calla lilies reach their trumpet-shaped blossoms heavenward, while boughs of wisteria, the most fleeting and delicate of spring flowers, bloom in glory above the lilies.  A single butterfly, the universal symbol of transformation, dances among the flowers.

“Transfiguration” is a sacred work. These flowers are messengers and their beauty calls us to ponder the power of hope, faith, grace and transformation.