• Brooding Angel, in watercolor and gold dust.
    Brooding Angel, in watercolor and gold dust. Credit: Lenore Hughes watercolor
  • Remembering, in watercolor and gold dust.
    Remembering, in watercolor and gold dust. Credit: Lenore Hughes watercolor
  • Flock of Sacrificial Lambs, in watercolor.
    Flock of Sacrificial Lambs, in watercolor. Credit: Lenore Hughes watercolor
  • Sacrificial Lamb, in watercolor and gold dust.
    Sacrificial Lamb, in watercolor and gold dust. Credit: Lenore Hughes watercolor
  • Sacrificial Lambs, in watercolor.
    Sacrificial Lambs, in watercolor. Credit: Lenore Hughes watercolor
  • Glowing bright with holy light.
    Glowing bright with holy light.

After all we have been through individually and as a culture
in making our way through life without protective glasses …

We have grown accustomed to seeing the light behind the darkness
to survive the throbbing pain of our collective unconscious, haven’t we?

A continual rushing current keeps us moving forward
instead of giving in and giving up.

We are holy, passionate, creative, loving people
whose undistinguishable spirits glow bright with holy light.

Santa Ynez Valley artist and author Lenore Tolegian Hughes looks at the world through the lens of being American-Armenian and fully immersed in both cultures. She’s exquisitely aware of how this impacts the nature and complexities of the meaning of her life about which she writes, and from which she makes art. Her work as been shown in galleries in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Diego and New York City, and she has taught at Westmont College and Santa Barbara City College. She’s currently working on an illustrated book of food stories and recipes informed by her novel, Cups of Fortune. Click here for more information. The opinions expressed are her own.