Tree of Life in New York City

This 48X96 inch oil painting on linen was created while I was living in New York City and while still a work in progress, this work places the symbolic Tree of Life — drawn from Lehi’s dream — within an urban landscape of rain, fog, and towering geometric structures. The city is rendered in muted, architectural tones, while the tree appears luminous and saturated, almost shockingly alive at the center of the scene.

I was interested in the contrast between the hardness of the built environment and the unexpected presence of divine love. Figures move in many directions — some descending underground, some distracted, some searching — while a mother and child orient themselves toward the tree and its fruit. The painting suggests that sacred encounter is not limited to traditionally holy spaces. Divine love can appear in the midst of noise, pressure, and complexity, inviting choice, attention, and approach.