Contrary to many comments I receive on social media, my paintings are not blurry because I'm trying to represent anyone's literal vision. I do accept - after thousands of comments telling me so - that this is true, but it remains not My Why.
So what is the reason I paint blurry art?
For me, my blurry bokeh paintings represent the Art of Selective Focus. I don't consider these paintings 'unfocused'. Focus is what you give your attention to - instead of 101 nitty-gritty details, I give my focus to beautiful light, invigorating colour and an overall sense of serenity.
A cityscape painting is the perfect example: instead of honing in on the details of a city - the litter, graffiti and grime - I focus on the colour and the lights.
In this situation, each light represents an individual story. Someone driving the kids home from a sports practice that went late, an office light of someone staying late to meet a deadline, the headlights of a young romantic heading off to pick up a date (one he hopes will be the first of many).
The Art of Letting Go
But also this is the Art of Surrender. It's the peace and serenity you'll feel when you let go of holding on to all the details. It's relinquishing control of the outcome and surrendering to the bigger picture.
My bokeh paintings show us, we don't have to have it all figured out to appreciate the beauty. Life can still be enormously rewarding and joyful even when things are a little unclear. In fact, a lack of certainty we might be experiencing, promises us that anything is possible.
Why is blurry art important?
The world in 2026 is hard and heavy. Wars, politics, social division, environmental concerns all scream for our attention. Bokeh art hangs on our walls, quiet and still, as a glimmer of light to soothe and settle our nervous systems.
Just today, someone told me my painting reminded them of when they would sneak out as a kid (with snacks!) to go to the park in order to escape the noise of home. And others have told me how they will sometimes take their glasses off to shut out the busyness of the world.
Deliberately zoning out as a tool for nervous system regulation has been practised for years (forever?) - even if we haven't always had the words to describe it that way.
We spend so much of our busy modern day hardwired into nitty-gritty minutiae. We barely take the time to focus on what makes it all worthwhile, like the light and beauty.
The Art of Softness
I paint my blurry bokeh art as your invitation to step back from life's hard and sharp details, and breathe. Let go of holding on so tight to whatever it is, and soften.
Bokeh art is nostalgia, it's a hazy daydream, it's the feeling of finally exhaling after a long day.