paintwithlove.com
painting by shayla garland

on a multi-day hike through the burmese countryside, we came across this gorgeous, ancient buddhist monastery in a bamboo forest. a little monk and his friend were playing out front. it was a lovely juxtaposition of young and old. dimensions: 30 x 40 inches.

i felt like everywhere i looked in india was a stunning photo. breathtaking beauty was commonplace. this was a photo taken at the "khajraho food plaza and cafe bar" in orchha- a gorgeous woman looking down below, amidst the napkins and the fake fleurs. dimensions: 24x30 inches.

the name more or less says it all, save the fact that he and his colourful plethora of fruit in the rustic stall had me absolutely enchanted. dimensions: 24X30 inches

growing up on a farm, the awkward, adorable and ridiculous goats were my favourite... and nothing conveys that love and esteem greater than this bold, epic portrait. dimensions: 24X36 inches

when you follow your heart, thus follows a smooth and gentle freedom, and confident direction.

stillll loving goats. encountered this beautiful creature in tafraoute, morocco.

the title is so long the website won't let me include it all! it should read "serene smoke and sunshine @ the temples of qingcheng shan". this was inspired by a hike i took at qingcheng shan (mountain) in china. though surrounded by throngs of tourists, i experienced a quiet, intimate moment in a temple with smoke, incense, sunshine, and utter beauty. it was glorious. dimensions: 30x40 inches

"xin nian kuai le" means 'happy new year" in mandarin, and it shouted to every passerby in the event of chinese new year, which is too much fun. the red lanterns adorn every edifice (or bamboo forest, in this case) during this time, and give a truly magical and festive feel. this spot was in chengdu, china, at a panda sanctuary. 'twas beautiful. dimensions: 30x30 inches

in a remote village in northern laos, i watched children chase a bike and erupt with happiness. i recognize the power of the simple things, and the depressing view that many people have of developing countries is, once again, slaughtered before my eyes.

in awe of the blossoming potential of a growing babe, in parallel to when buds bloom. incredible, beautiful, nature-driven of new life.

sickened by the water and other resources that i see go to waste, especially in the developed world, i was led to put my thoughts to canvas. dimensions: 24X36 inches

inspired by the incredible dancer-choreographer martha graham. dimensions: 24X36 inches

one of three paintings in the series "question". this work deals with the idea that the label of weed is arbitrary, simply because the plant is in some way undesirable to some humans. furthermore, the plant is shunned for defending itself (thereby, in the case of the white camas, killing livestock), yet humans kill livestock for reasons much less virtuous than that (namely, hunger). dimensions: 16X20 inches

one of three paintings in the series "question". this work deals with the idea that birds have wings... with which they can fly. it would be an understatement to say that caging this creature seems counterintuitive to me. dimensions: 16X20 inches

one of three paintings in the series "question". this work deals with the idea that ripping the seeds from the womb of anything naturally gifted with a womb leaves that 'being' much less consequential. dimensions: 16X20 inches

enchanted by the way the sun kissed the underside of the hanging trees, plus the repetition and texture present in this canal photo inspired me to simply.. replicate.

the iris features a representation of millais' "huguenot on st.bartholomew's day, refusing to shielf himself from danger by wearing the roman catholic badge". what a mouthful. this painting is about something i saw when i looked in his eyes, but only when the light was just right. dimensions: 20X30 inches

we may think we're powerful as people- and we are, to a degree... but we're much smaller than we think in comparison to the forces of nature.

my favourite commissioned piece to date, made for a wedding composed of space and giant squid lovers. i've never learned so much about nebulae and tentacles.

inspired originally by giant space love to project sea creatures into space, i started to see all the parallels between deep sea and outer space, and in this particular piece i explored the theme of things that seem to be on the edge of existence, such as dead dandelions, medusae, and the things that float about out there... dimensions: 18x36 inches


after a guided meditation with dr.paul epstein ND, we were told we could have a moment to draw/note anything we'd like about our experience. i had an extremely powerful dialogue with my "inner wisdom", the oldest part of me. it felt so perfect, so right, at peace and balanced and beautiful.

a thank-you painting to a very dear friend of mine. there are a few too many themes and randomnesses in here to explain, but unconditional love and perspective are two of the many.

the sight that soothed my soul on the shores of whitby, boxing day 2011. painted for mi mamá a year later.

my interpretation of the rejuvenation that occurs during the act of slumber. dimensions: 24X40 inches

after studying japan, i thought to myself of the effort they put forth to project such a brilliant, beautiful and fascinating facade... in japanese characters, on left: image (4 characters), lie (2), illusion (4). on right: fake (4), imitation (7). dimensions: 26X42 inches

based on my experiences with meditation. finding the calm within despite the outside world being a bit busy, chaotic, and messy.