So Can You

by Kimberly Sorrie, Julia Joy Hoflen, and Bob Dicarlo

Julia Joy Hoflen and Kimberly Sorrie begin their collaboration through the shared language of paint, exchanging brushstrokes, blending palettes, and building imagery together on the canvas. Their process is one of co-creation, where color, movement, and intuition combine to bring visual life into being. From this shared foundation, poet Bob DiCarlo joins the dialogue through the ekphrastic tradition, a form of poetry that responds directly to visual art.

For Bob, the painting becomes both muse and mirror. He studies the collaborative work carefully, observing the layers of color, the rhythm of brushwork, and the emotional undercurrent within the imagery. Rather than merely describing what appears on the canvas, Bob translates the spirit of the painting into language. His poem becomes a lyrical amplification, extending the visual experience into metaphor, reflection, and emotional insight. The painting and poem coexist as equal partners, creating a dual-layered artwork where visual and verbal expression enrich one another.

In So - Can You, the collaboration conveys a message of courage and self-trust. The imagery and poetry together inspire wisdom, abundance, joy, and permission to believe in oneself, to step forward boldly, and to embrace possibility. The work celebrates the shared space of inspiration and craftsmanship among the three artists, inviting viewers into a fuller, multisensory experience of the artistic moment.