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Featured in ArtPrize 2015

Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime. But, what happens when people with power steal the man's boat or put up a fence around the lake?

What if a functional collapse of systems leaves the man vulnerable to violence and corruption? When people think of poverty, they tell you what they see. What they don't see is what is intentionally hidden by the perpetrator. People don't talk about things they don't have solutions for. However, solutions to large problems are not impossible - it takes courageous perseverance. May we work to strengthen systems and do justice so that everyone can freely fish and eat for a lifetime.

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Featured in ArtPrize 2017

Many years ago, my Oma, Anna VanderSchaaf (De Rooy) immigrated from the Netherlands to Canada on a boat named "The Waterman" after World War II to start a new life, as her life then was not easy.

Her immigration journey was difficult and although decades later, it still pains her to talk about it now.

Yet, many of her memories are about how this new country became home. She remembers feeling welcomed when arriving to Canada. She received legal citizenship status so that she could begin working, get married, start a business, and start a family. 60 years later, she now calls Canada her home.

This piece captures a joyful yet uncertain moment as Anna nears Canada on the boat with her family and other immigrants aboard. May we also open our arms and allow our country to become home for immigrants.

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Featured in ArtPrize 2016

When life seems too difficult, we often get caught up in our own emotions, thoughts, and desires. Sometimes, it helps to take a step back and see how small we really are in the big picture.

All of those countries, all of those lakes and mountains, all of that ocean - the wars, evil, depression, injustice, the joy, beauty, smiles, and love - they are in God's hands and we are but a small piece of the bigger picture.

However small it may be, each piece is important and has a unique voice - may we choose to end the wars, evil, depression, and injustice and instead live with joy, recognize beauty, and love fearlessly.

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The sparrow and hummingbird are small, resilient birds.

Sparrows, are communal in nature and protective of their clan. They are persistent and show integrity and self worth regardless of external factors. Sparrows are not afraid to sing their soul's own song and they encourage creativity and kindness.

Hummingbirds symbolize the enjoyment of life and lightness of being. They are swift and flexible, adaptable to accommodate life's circumstances. Hummingbirds express joy and love fully, lifting up negativity without tiring. They take time to enjoy life.

Created to be a constant reminder of what kind of space our home can be.

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Featured in ArtPrize 2018

On a sunny day, May 3, 2016, my nephew legally became my brother. When his birth parents were not able to keep him safe, he was placed in the foster care system at almost 2.5 years old. Without hesitation, my parents decided to foster parent my nephew.

It was a painful journey and soon became clear that reunification with his birth parents was not the route we were on.

He regularly called me “mom” with questioning eyes. Others assumed I was his mother when we were out together, resulting in him kicking and running away, hurt and confused. He began to write dozens, then hundreds of letters, stuffing them into any envelope he could get his hands on and giving them to people he loved. His top two birthday list requests were envelopes and paper. Writing letters became his way of processing his hurt.

I couldn’t read most of his toddler handwriting, but I could make out words: Mommy…Nani…Opa…and my name, Ali.

After 693 days of the foster care system journey, his birth parents bravely decided to place him for adoption, and my parents adopted him. Many of his feelings of hurt and confusion slowly began to transform into feelings of love and safety and he stopped writing letters so frequently.

I tucked away the box of letters he had written to me – I wasn’t ready to get rid of them but also wasn’t sure what to do with them.

After a year, I was finally ready to begin piecing his journey together into a quilt. With each stitch I asked for healing. I prayed for patience. I felt beauty blooming out of pain.

His journey is not over – there are more hurts that will need to be processed. But these letters are stitched into his story, it’s a part of who he is. Our past does not define who we are, but it is up to us to choose how to stitch together pieces of our journey into beauty.

When I first showed my nephew what I was working on, his eyes doubled in size, he covered his mouth with his small 6-year-old hand, gasped, and said, “Auntie Ali, it’s beautiful!”

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Visiting the floating village on the Tonle Sap Lake in Siem Reap, Cambodia on a tourist boat to see the poor village built on floating vessels. Kids floating in buckets. Schools and restaurants on boats. An icky feeling of gawking.

A young boy and I locked eyes and I noticed a key around his neck.

“He wears a key around his neck to ward off evil spirits”, the guide said.

Hope is alive in so many places.

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I was 15, and in high school art class.

“Why don’t you try watercolor?”, my teacher said. “See if you can paint this sailboat.”

As I painted, I lost track of time and got lost in the right side of my brain.

My teacher's eyes widened as she asked "How did you know how to do that?"

I responded, "I understood in my mind and then It just poured out of my soul".

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In a catholic cathedral in the hills of Guatemala, a Mayan woman knelt to to pray, embodying what is syncretism.

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A live model moved positions every 60 seconds - a challenge to capture her beauty in a timed drawing technique. Hundreds of pages flipped every 60 seconds.

At the end, one stunning sketch stood out - timeless beauty.

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Sometimes, we communicate best through another language other than words. This is one of many parts in this series to show different ways of communication.

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Sometimes, we communicate best through another language other than words. This is one of many parts in this series to show different ways of communication.

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Sometimes, we communicate best through another language other than words. This is one of many parts in this series to show different ways of communication.

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Visiting a monastery in South Korea on a rainy day. We are all more alike than we think.

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We are all at times, a prodigal child. May we always desire to return and may we welcome with open arms.

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If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

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Four siblings born within 6 years, none too similar. How can it be that genes are split so? Are you sure you all have the same parents? But you are all so different…

Aren't we all? May we celebrate our unique characteristics.