BLAH BLAH BLAH (The hikers)

36” x 48” Oil on canvas

Blah Blah Blah (The Hikers) is an oil painting based on a photo taken during a hike with two friends. It captures a moment of quiet rest—sun on our backs, snacks in our hands, nowhere to be but here. Anika, pictured on the left, was also my studio-mate during our senior year studying art, and a huge part of my creative life.

This painting holds that memory, but also something more—a mindset we shared during that season. One day in the studio, overwhelmed by everything (painting problems, life problems, the usual), I scribbled blah blah blah across the background of a painting. Anika, without missing a beat, held up her own sketchbook covered in the same words. It became a shorthand between us for all the chaos we couldn’t explain—and a way of choosing to let it go.

Painting this moment felt like returning to that headspace. It’s about friendship, art, burnout, and how good it feels to be understood without having to explain yourself. It’s about the kind of people who remind you to stop chasing perfection, and just be in the work.

This piece is a reflection on presence, connection, and the quiet freedom of saying blah blah blah — and moving forward anyway.