Plein Air at Al Borlin Park

Last night, I heard the song, Liberation of the Heart by Kazuma Okabayashi. It’s one of my favorites and I knew my soul had to plein air in the rain the next morning. I planned it out and made it happen. Special thanks to the kind person that helped me set up my tent. We had matching headphones.

When I painted, I cried and laughed and was completely free to feel.

If anyone is struggling with the impossible, I have been there and am on your side, ready to somatic dance and help lead the way to understanding that the music is you. When you hear a beautiful song and you feel deeply, that is you.

I painted the exact colors I saw, but it looks way happier than a rainy day.

My hands were cold and bloody, but I didn’t mind at all because I was having such a great time.

I hope to do this a lot more!

Just the Tap

I got to meet the owner at Just the Tap at ECCC 2026 and got featured as an artist in their family friendly restaurant. They have swings to eat in. They have black light karaoke. It’s the coolest place ever, for locals, and run by kind engineers that like Settlers of Catan, archery, and marching band. Can we go right now?

Star

This is a commissioned oil original for Beth of her beloved horse, Star. I painted it with all my love. She takes care of my horse at North Star and it reminds her of her old horse. Beth is always kind to me and I love how she simply waves to say hi. I hope she loves it and it’s something she can pass down someday.

ECCC 2026

Thank you to all the people that stopped by and purchased an oil original, a canvas print, a print, commissioned me, got a raven sticker, or put on a paint brush and pallet charm on their lanyard. It was the best ECCC yet. I loved being in the Arch Building with a corner booth live painting and wearing a medieval dress my mom made. Heaven!

I’m so grateful to get to know you at the con!

Mount Rainier from Preedy Mountain

This was painted from a sunrise picture from the view of my aunt and uncle‘s house a while ago. The view is no longer visible because trees my Grandpa planted grew in the way. This picture was at my aunt‘s desk. Now it’s a huge painting in the room the used to be able to see it!

It took me a year to paint because I didn’t quite know what I was doing, and it was my first landscape. My Aunt Kris and Uncle Jeff are one of my main collectors and trusted me. It takes bravery to paint and bravery to trust a painter to paint for you!

Thank you for this opportunity to paint! I learned that similar to painting a seascape, (how light blue is often on top of the brown sand), light yellow was on top of all the colors beyond the foreground.

Luxembourg Art Prize

This is my 2025 entry titled, Die Another Way:

This is an oil painting that will be the album art to our upcoming single, Die Another Way by WTM. It is painted from a picture of myself on the beach in Victor, WA. A stranger took the picture as I was sunning out on the beach in front of our rental house. I now know his last name was Skewis and he was the son of our neighbor I would deliver May Day baskets to. The man-o-war jelly fish and baby seagull wings were added to tell my story and be a voice for all people that have split. This painting shows the resilience or fire in one’s eye that it takes to overcome a split self. I named this inner self Peaches and am working to completely unmask. I have lived a life that has perfect behavior when not safe.

This is the headshot I sent the Luxembourg Art Prize. I took pictures for six months trying to embody my artist self, but finally got this picture by softening my eye and balancing my features in the Frame with my peripheral vision. I like it because I’m using the side of my face that can barely move to smile, which gives off the right vibe finally.

This is our song, Die Another Way! I’m singing, playing the keytar and I wrote the melody and the lyrics. The lyrics describe the split from the perspective of the child, the unsafe person, a dark-humor metaphor of this in nature as a jelly fish and a seagull, and a tribute to surviving secretly through music and dedicated to all those that have died another way through trauma and conditioning to not be allowed to be your self.

my painting is a single cover art inspired by the album art of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, The Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream and U2’s War.

Here is my process and how I start with an outline and layer one color at a time.

The row boat in the background was my first birthday present. I would learn to row my Grandpa Preedy across the puget sound to where I was married later at the Allyn Waterfront. Growing up on the water has given me a great understanding of water and a very good visual memory. I believe this vivid time in my life made me the triathlete and artist I am today.

Bingo

This is a surprise for Darrien for when she gets back from Alaska. Her beloved soul mate will be on the viewing room wall at our barn. Hope she likes it.

Emerald Downs Equine Art Show 2025

This is Fandango! My triathlon coach’s Mom and her horse, Fandango, are here qualifying for the Olympics. Her glory was snatched because her country was banned due to war. She was the best rider ever and didn’t get to compete. I had to paint them and give her legend immortality.

Juliet said her mom doesn’t like modern art, so I sweated bullets for a year trying not to be myself, but then just let it rip. To soften the possible upset, I gave her a canvas print in a traditional frame.

ECCC 2025

It was glorious as usual!

Sheldon

This is my horse trainer’s beloved horse, Sheldon. He was a lucky horse to have her. I hope I did him justice. It was an honor to get to paint him.

If you would like a portrait, please contact me at hilma@josal.com

Outdoor lighting.

Indoor lighting.

ECCC 2024

Artistry for the Brave! Booth 20503 right by the entrance on the 2nd floor. Live painting!

Emerald City Comic Con 2024 was pretty epic. I got to meet Elijah Wood. I told him he was doing a good job and he said, “Thanks!” He also signed my VHS with a heart. I died.

Thanks to Heila for stopping by my booth! I can’t believe Grant wore elf ears. He gets one billion points. I’m dressed as a bard from Skyrim and that is my I’m so happy smile.