“From hoof and hide, to flank and horn,  Amid the wood, was noble born,
Upon the field I walked at length, Swift in motion, high in strength,
And scarcely did I need to boast, Rare of speech, unheard by most,
Until this day, when hoof and bone, And blood and frame and muscle tone,
Within this land, where long I’ve trod, I sacrificed, to follow God,
My King whose crown was loaned to me; I gave it back, to thankful be.”

-Alexander King Ream

Lindsey’s botanical stories series not only celebrates the Divine Nature of humans but also animals. She started painting skulls as an Ode to Georgia O’Keefe, who found beauty in the shapes and simplicity of skulls. She loves painting them as well. Lindsey has learned that what we think is white and beige has a spectrum and a dozen variations of cool and warm tones that contour the shape of a skull. The flowers, feathers, crystals, whimsical twigs, and bark are added to symbolize rebirth or resurrection. Her paintings of skulls are in many ways an attempt to combat that unhopeful emotion that death and decay may have and replace it with feelings of hope, because death is never the end, it’s the beginning of something beautiful. I felt impressed to paint three sparrows to symbolize the notion that all things on earth and under heaven are sacred and important to the Creator of the universe. Therefore, we must not fear that we are ever forgotten. Like the beloved hymn lyrics, “I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me,” it’s a comforting feeling, knowing that we are all connected and loved. The large magnolia blossom symbolizes nobility, dignity, and perseverance. The gold leaf in all my pieces is a symbol of our light, Divine Light, and the reflection of the viewer's light. In this particular painting, the gold leaf is a sainted tribute to a noble life well lived and loved.  
Mankind's relationship with animals throughout history is remarkable. We’ve had to sacrifice, lean, and yoke ourselves with them for our survival and needs, whether it be food, clothing, or transportation. Our dependency on them, especially in the past, has historical significance. Animals and mankind together have resiliently pushed through adversity for survival. They are warriors and their attributes are reflected within us as well. 
We are all warriors; Lindsey’s painted skulls are to remind the viewer of their own individual strength. She loves painting a variety of antlers, the stag whose antlers branch out and reach toward the light, the bison and steer antlers that point toward the cosmos, and the ram or goat antlers that spiral into the fractal symbol of infinity.+ But most importantly, the sainted skulls are a strong representation and symbol of Memento Mori, a renaissance notion that we all must die, so let us live each day as if it’s your last: to live in gratitude, to seize each moment and to grab life by horns, to go and do and to hang on! Because life is a ride: if you fall, get back up, keep pressing forward, keep growing, keep blooming, keep reaching for the light. You are watched over, beloved, and divinely designed to do so!