4/29/2025

Crested Caracara (Caracara Plancus)

I'm happy to present my latest painting: Rock Bottom.
The central figure is a Crested Caracara, a striking member of the falcon family. More than just standing there looking pretty, the bird draws our eye to the blooming cactus—the glowing focal point of the piece. This cactus, built for survival, flourishes against all odds in an unforgiving landscape. Its ability to grow where nothing else can makes it a powerful symbol of hope and resilience.

Such resilience feels distant when you've hit rock bottom. In those moments, life feels isolating, harsh and hopeless. It’s when you’ve literally reached the lowest point in your life. You feel like you’ve fallen into a dark pit of despair. Impossible as it may seem, you can still face the pain and turn your life around. Rock bottom can become a solid foundation for your greatest personal growth. After all, there’s no way to go but up. That’s why hitting rock bottom often marks the beginning of a recovery process. Of course it takes more than just words or a simple painting to change a life. This isn’t about false positivity or pretending that pain isn’t real. But what I do believe—what this painting represents—is that even in the darkest places, there's hope to be found. The path forward may not be easy or obvious, but it exists. 

Because even when all is lost, one truth remains: you’re still alive, which means you have another chance. A chance to do things differently, because reinvention is now your only option. It may feel like a cruel joke, but you have to embrace your challenges as opportunities for growth. The flower in this painting symbolizes hope. It illuminates the rubble from your shattered life, revealing that obstacles can become stepping stones. Like the blooming cactus, we can rise from the hardest places stronger, with a newfound understanding that our struggles are not the end, but the beginning of a new, more profound journey.