My “SHE & I” series is an exploration of the beautiful intertwinement of Mother Nature and Feminine Energy. To further develop this study, I invited my talented friends to give a voice to each pair of paintings.

Each woman has some connection to Michigan and/or the Great Lakes. They either practice a creative profession or pursue creative expression in their free time, something I respect and resonate with on a deeply personal level.

I’m proud to know each of them and I’m excited to share with you both their words and unique stories.

My hope is that this series openly invites fresh voices and perspectives different from my own, and perhaps different from yours. You may read more about this project here.

Now, without further ado… Meet Kate Eskuri.

“SUNFLOWERS FOR KATE” 20x24 // “In her elements” 20X24 (available may 16th at 10 am CST)

mother earth,
you are so gentle
yet so bold 
in tandem
-
you are constant, yet ever-changing:
creating elements and compounds and liquids-
molecules colliding and rebounding. 
into more-
into something greater than themselves
-
these creations are independent.

yet co-dependent.
combining to give life 
to cliffs and ponds
and wide-spread forests
-
in turn, giving birth to
creatures and plants and lillies and valleys
all feeding the other, 
all needing the other.
-
each of them interconnected
and so intimately intertwined.
one small interaction at a time,

they turn into
one
-
and i am a part of it all.
a network.
a collaboration.

of these elements
-
the rays of the sun 
nurturing the grass of the soil
converting toxic fumes into beautiful air
that wraps around me
-
i inhale their gift.
oxygen pumps through my blood.
nourishing my organs.
fueling my thoughts.
-
i cannot separate their atoms from my own.
i am one being-
composed of a million separate things.

i am,
a universe within a universe.

Signed,

Kate Eskuri

Her Inspiration:

I wrote this poem during a near-perfect day portaging through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a magical natural forest full of 1,000 unique lakes and bluffs that are all interconnected... It has always been — and will always be — my happy place. But the day I wrote this poem was special. I still can't quite put my finger on it... but i was just so keenly aware that I was separate from the Earth but so much a crucial piece of it all.

I am very inspired by living in the midwest and getting to fully experience all four seasons. Each season serves me differently and challenges me in their own unique way. Every winter, I feel more OK to allow myself time to rest and to live slowly. I feel the unique and vital spirit of spring and the hunger for brighter days ahead. I feel vibrantly alive in the summer and eager to explore this beautiful little world. Fall roots me down and reminds me of where I’ve been — and where I’m yet to go.

So much of my mission for The Foundation Blog and my practice in integrative health is to get back to these roots of nature. To slow our pace of lives, honor our bodies “seasons”, fueling our bodies with natural, nourishing food, turning to the earth and its wisdom for peace. I have truly watched my life transform by getting back to “the basics”— ensuring that my food, breath, home, and self-care all feel traditional, easy, and rooted in natural gifts from the Earth. I read this poem to myself whenever I feel myself getting wrapped up and swept along in a modern-day, fast-paced society... the words of this poem instantly bring me back to that idyllic day swimming on the shores of Rose Lake while the sun flickered on and off the water. THAT is a life i am proud of — the to-do list can always wait for moments like that.

About Kate

I’m happiest with my hiking boots on, a picnic, and a pretty view in front of me. I am always asking questions, have my nose in a book, or whipping up new recipes. I live in theee most magical “middle of nowhere” in the Minnesota Northwoods with my sweet hubs and our lil pup, Summit. I am a woman who loves science and am fascinated by the human body and the miracle it is.

I am a registered nurse by trade and am actively going back to school to get two doctorates in Women’s Health and Integrative Health & Healing. Most recently, I have taken my passion for slow living, integrative health, and holistic self-care and turned it into my little passion project of The Foundation Blog: a one stop shop for all things slow living, integrative health, and holistic self-care…. And it’s quickly gaining steam which is wildly exciting!

To sum it up: I’m a firm believer that life is created to be ENJOYED and my ultimate goal in life is to switch off the autopilot mode and fully engage with my life. I believe that health and connection with our earth are foundational in creating a vivid life, and I want to use my little corner of the internet to inspire the modern-woman to disconnect from her monotonous to-do list, and to reconnect with her one beautiful, vibrant life.

Keep in touch:

As  I pursued my path of becoming a holistic + integrative women’s health nurse practitioner, I felt such a void in helping women care for their bodies through lifestyle changes, nutrition, natural interventions, and alternative medicine— instead of “there’s a pill for that”.

Enter: The Foundation Blog.

I wanted to craft my own little corner of the internet:  a one-stop shop for all things slow living, integrative health, and holistic self-care. This is for the modern woman who is ready to feel more grounded in her life. It’s been launched less than three months and already we have hit 110,000 views… the response has been so encouraging! This blog was created as a space where the modern woman has a place to press pause, invest in herself, and just be…

She & I:

I stumbled upon Kate and her contagious positive spirit several years ago and have only grown to love her more as I’ve followed her journey! We both are 7s on the enneagram, married to 9s, lovers of the outdoors & the midwest, Boston marathon qualifiers/runners, work in healthcare & have side passions…phew! It’s no wonder I instantly felt a connection with her. We have yet to meet in person but if I ever venture to Minnesota I’ll be sure to seek her out to go on a run. I absolutely adore her perspective and her poem seems to perfectly bottle up my intention for this series. Just like us and the Earth - made from the same elements - so are each of my paintings, different yet made from the same mediums and brushstrokes. Thank you, Kate for contributing to this project!