Nothing Happens in a Vacuum.

I can’t have a deeply meaningful year as an artist, business owner or adventurer on my own. It takes all of us. It takes my clients, customers, my collaborators, staff, my belayers, ski partners, shop techs, print lab, frame shop, coffee shop, burrito makers, pizzaiolo and brewery. 

It takes my friends and family, and the community around me. It takes you believing in me, supporting what I do. Coming to my gallery events, presentations, letter writing campaigns. And, yes, buying my art and hiring my services. I’m deeply grateful for all of the people who make my work possible.  I don’t take your support for granted.

And for your support, I’ll return to you my best effort. 

I’ll try to create the most striking images I can of the times and places that mean the world to me - that mean the world to so many of us. I’ll practice responsible ethics in these sacred places, and work tirelessly to minimize my impact in the wild.

I’ll fight to defend the environment on which I rely for my work and play, and on which we all depend on for our very survival. I’ll try to create inspiring images and stories, and to practice an intentional way of life. 

To recap some of the year’s highlights:

• We opened the year with the Snoqualmionix exhibition at the gallery featuring pairings of peak action, and the amazing local venues in which it took place

• A storytelling event at Volition Brewing packed the house as we revealed their massive mural of the Snoqualmie Mountains

• To celebrate the life of the visionary artist and director, David Lynch, we hosted a Twin Peaks pop-up show and accompanying art book, Twin Peeks

• Ski adventures ensued throughout the winter in Washington and Canada

• In March, my beloved Ford F150 was totaled by a falling tree, which sucked. But, I  proudly replaced it with a fully electric Ford F150 Lighting, which rules

• I spent the last week of April on a circumnavigation of the Snoqualmie High Peaks

• We celebrated spring with the opening of the Volcano Season show as the gallery

• As the political landscape heated up around public lands issues, we hosted a letter-writing event at the gallery to protest the proposed sale of public lands

• The National Treasure exhibition at the gallery served to remind us all what we have to lose if we don’t stand up for public lands

• Ford Motor Company discovered and featured my story in their F150 Lightning marketing campaign

• We hosted the community and musicians during the North Bend blues and jazz walks, Art Studio Tour and Block Party

• For the fall show, we featured the Forest Abides collection to show the amazing ways in which nature can heal when we give it time

• We took the show on the road with a pop-up gallery at the William Grassie tasting room featuring some of our most iconic pieces from the Snoqualmie region

• Ski season got off to an early start as featured in the stoke-sharing POV video powder skiing Washington Pass in late October

• The winter show opened at the gallery featuring spectacular and subtle winter scenes from many winters in Japan, titled Yukiguni [Snow Country]

• We saw many of you in the gallery, in your homes for installations and interacted with many more online as a busy holiday season closed out the year at the Scott Rinckenberger Gallery

I’m sure there was more in this year that went by in a blur. I’m grateful for everyone who played a part. Here’s looking forward to another year of living with joy and fighting for the things that matter!

Thank you. I’m grateful for this life.