Continuing my series partnering with Seattle Women Visual Artists, I am over the moon to announce that Enid Smith Becker created a beautiful piece inspired by my next single "Brighter Haze". The painting is part of her exhibition "Reedify"  at The Seattle Art Museum beginning April 8th! Enid created a piece that perfectly, captures the wistful and slightly mysterious nature of my song, and I am so excited to share both the art and the song with you. Enid took the time to answer some questions about her process and life as an artist.  Brighter Haze will be available wherever you listen on April 7th and Enid's show is at SAM from April 8-30 2023.

How and when did your journey with professional art begin?

I studied painting at the University of Washington and really enjoyed it. My first show was over twenty years ago in Meany Hall. Like many artists starting out I had subsequent shows in coffee shops and then in galleries in the Seattle area and Oregon. 

What is your creative process like?
Sometimes it begins with a concept like when I had the idea for a white winter scene with a strip of summer color down the middle. Other times I think of a place I want to paint and develop it from there. I collect images, do sketches in black and white then lay it out in paint on canvas, like a drawing but in paint. The next steps are layering in paint, moving the panels and refining the work. 

What has been inspiring you recently?

I am often inspired by the weather and seasons. Now I’m thinking of warmer times leaning into sunny skies and flowers! 

Can you describe a particular artistic Aha! moment that you have had?

My paintings are about our relationship with the natural world. Often the work is beautiful – they are a reminder of what we need to preserve and care for. In the summer of 2018 I did a different kind of painting. I was out at Hood Canal and could see a plume of smoke from a wildfire burning in the Olympic Forest. I was distressed at the loss of habitat and had a vision for a painting of rich green, old growth trees and within, windows of orange flame. The painting was titled Witness. 

Tell us about the process of creating the album art for Brighter Haze.

Brighter Haze was fun to paint. I listened to the song many times. I liked the fluid quality of the music and kept coming back to the idea of a brighter haze-that there might be multiple types of haze, that something better awaits. I like the gentle optimism inherent in the song. There was an earlier stage in the composition that was brighter and more abstract but I felt it needed to be softer and more wistful which lead to the final version. 

Being an artist in the Pacific Northwest is....

Fun and rewarding. This is an area that is very supportive of  the arts. I also love the Pacific Northwest and it landscapes inspire me.