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When Christine Wilkin was just 4, she told her mother she was going to be an artist when she grew up. For Wilkin, now 23, surrounded by her acrylic creations in her first solo gallery, that dream has come true.

Wilkin's art show, "Remembrance through Nature," will be showcased until Dec. 22 at the Huntington Community Center in Bowie. Wilkin's next show will be held today to Sunday in Washington Village in Southwest Baltimore during its first Artdromeda, a four-day music and art festival.

"Right now I'm really expressing myself through nature," said Wilkin, of Greenbelt.

Wilkin said her recent paintings, including "Morning in New Mexico" and "Kissimmee," are an expression of thoughts, emotions and people she experienced through her travels. She has traveled to national forests during annual prayer for peace gatherings with the Rainbow Family, a counter-culture community, and to Piscataway Park in Accokeek.

Wilkin said moving to a suburban neighborhood in Greenbelt in July to settle down with her family allowed her to experience all of the hidden nature of Prince George's County. Inspired by her new surroundings, Wilkin created the "Wildflower Series," which consists of several brightly colored paintings of flowers picked at Little Paint Branch Park in College Park by Wilkin and her daughters, ages 3 years and 5 months.

"In Prince George's there's a lot of nature like huge parks hidden behind the Beltway and other areas; you just have to look for them," Wilkin said.

Wilkin said she likes to keep her style loose while painting, using thick strokes and laying on a lot of paint because it allows for more expression.

"It keeps it fun, free and liberal," she said.

After running away from home when she was 17, Wilkin was able to repair her relationship with her parents after she married her husband, Soren Powell, and had her first daughter.

Wilkin continued pursuing her dreams of being an artist, studying art education at the University of Maryland, College Park, selling her art in the streets of Philadelphia and participating in art festivals and showcases like Artomatic in Washington, D.C.

After contributing pieces to a show in March for Women's History Month at the Huntington Community Center, Wilkin was asked to return and do her own solo gallery.

"I feel the gallery is cohesive; I'm really happy I was able to come up with over 18 paintings that go together," she said.

Cristal Toribio, gallery coordinator, said she has gotten positive feedback from the public on Wilkin's gallery.

"Her art was very inspiring — her spirit and energy is something we need to share with everyone," Toribio said.

Wilkin's jellyfish and wildflower series are among the visitor favorites, Toribio said.

"The energy of her work is amazing — she blends in so much from nature that we lose sight of in our day-to-day lives," she said.

-What: Christine Wilkin presents "Remembrance through Nature," a gallery showcasing acrylic paintings inspired by the artist's experiences in nature and travels around the country

-When: Center is open now until Dec. 22, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays

-Where: Huntington Community Center, 13022 Eighth St., Bowie.

-For more information: 301-464-3725.