This body of work began as an exploration of what reveals itself when certainty gives way to intuition. Through gesture, layering, obscuring and uncovering, each painting became an invitation to follow what was emerging rather than what was planned. Forms appear and dissolve, figures hover at the edge of recognition, and moments of clarity coexist with ambiguity.

The paintings embrace uncertainty. They resist fixed narratives and invite multiple interpretations. Some suggest release and transformation, as in Fly Little One. Others linger in reflection, like Echoes of Yesterday, A Good Cry holds space to be emotionally earnest. Works such as Held and A Small Offering speak to tenderness, connection and the quiet significance of seemingly small moments. Together, they create a visual language rooted in feeling rather than depiction.

Like a pavilion with many entrances, each painting offers opportunities to view from different angles. Meanings shift depending on where one stands, what one brings, and what one is willing to notice. The work acknowledges the many dimensions that coexist within every individual: light and shadow, presence and absence, concealment and revelation.

Rather than providing answers, these paintings invite contemplation. They ask what becomes visible when we pause long enough to look beyond first impressions and allow space for uncertainty, imagination and reflection. In that space, something unexpected may emerge—not only within the work itself, but within the viewer.

This show brings together over a dozen recent paintings (2024-2026) from several ongoing series, including Origin[al]s, Manifestations and Atmospherics. While each series explores its own distinct ideas, this exhibition marks the first time these bodies of work have been presented together.

The title reflects a deliberate tension. In recent years, Maren has become increasingly aware of the forces that pull us apart—our increasingly polarized culture, isolation, and a growing tendency to see ourselves as separate rather than connected. At the same time, she believes we remain part of something much larger than ourselves. Rather than focusing on our divisions, these paintings grew out of her desire to make work that reminds us of what we share. They invite viewers to pause, reflect and consider the connections that remain, even when they can be difficult to see.

Each series approaches these ideas from a different perspective. Origin[al]s considers questions surrounding our shared genetic inheritance. Manifestations explores the ways that art can carry forth the energy of its maker and viewers to contribute to the positive transformation of our world. Atmospherics creates spaces of quiet refuge in these troubled times. Taken together, all three series offer reflections on our common human experience.

Working primarily in the centuries-old medium of egg tempera, alongside acrylic, Maren builds each painting through multiple layers, allowing the work to emerge slowly over time. Her hope is that visitors leave with a renewed awareness that we are each unique yet are still part of something larger than ourselves.

My first memory of holding a paint brush dates back to nursery school. I loved standing at an easel even though I was told that I painted on Veronica, the child standing next to me, instead of painting on the art paper on the easel.

 That yearning to paint about what I saw, how I felt and my discoveries of the world and now the universe have never ended.

 Painting affords me pleasure and excitement at all I see in the natural world, all I read, study and everything that visits my dreams.

I was a bookish only child growing up in a New York City apartment. My 8th floor bedroom window only had a view of the solid brick wall of the other side of the building. When I enter homes, the first thing I look at is the view out the windows.

 Painting gave me vistas so much further than out my 8th floor bedroom window.

Even now, painting allows me a wonderful entrance to other realms in life.  I see strange perspectives, all sorts of forms and relationships. I am visually delighted by small things and large things. I stare at the shape of a leaf, an uneven sidewalk, rain as it falls, snowflakes before they hit the ground. My most exciting travels take place through my paintings.

When I paint I am not limited to walking on our earth. I can fly to and through many worlds. In my paintings I cruise beyond my earthly limits. I explore stars and planets, and in doing that I find myself.