Growing up, my mom did a lot of arts and crafts with my brother and I. She is a talented painter and she helped me discover my love for painting, too. The joy I got from painting, whether it be on a terracotta pot, a t-shirt, or a picnic table in need of a pick-me-up (we had ‘under the sea’ and ‘night sky’ themed picnic tables in the backyard throughout my childhood) was always so singular and indescribable. It felt like time stopped, and I got to be in a world of my own making filled with all the colors I loved - a space where I could play without the fear of consequences because if I didn’t like something I could just paint over it and start again.

As I got older my priorities began to shift, from seeking the most joy, fun, and flow to figuring out how to pay for the life I wanted and with that shift I let go of painting for a while. But, as true things do, painting called me to return and now, I’m happy to report, there’s no end to our relationship in sight. The other thing that has called me back to it after some time away is wilderness itself. In mid 2024 my husband Derek and I moved to Mount Shasta, CA to be reunited with the wide open spaces and lush landscapes similar to those I grew up in -  but with much higher mountains - and we couldn’t be happier.