It all began with an idea and a stack of art supplies…
It was late at night, all my paints were out, cats in my lap, and here I was, tired but dreaming about starting a greeting card business.
Fast forward 6 months later, I found myself paints in hand, sketches on my kitchen table, brainstorming cute animal illustrations I could use for my first trade show booth at The National Stationery Show.
Next thing I knew, I was on a plane to New York, my whimsical animal illustrations ready to share with the world, all created in watercolor and pen and ink... Let me tell you, it was not as glamorous as you would think. I had to figure everything out as I went along, as I always did. Note to my future self, this crazy determination became the foundation I needed to succeed in this business, in painting, and just in life!
Fun fact: my studio used to be a closet!
Photoshoot I did for Paper Loop on my living room floor…
It was this spark of determination, this passion for my own creative journey, that led me on a path, to mix painting with products, and create a line of greeting cards to be loved by many, and carried in countless stores across the US and beyond.
It wasn't until I dove deeper and deeper into painting, that I realized, I absolutely loved the way the paint moved, how it made me feel, and how uniquely different it felt from computer generated art. I started painting my watercolor maps of the 50 states after working as the travel column illustrator for Better Homes & Gardens. It was this intermingling of travel, watercolor and illustration that fueled my passion for painting and led me to truly discover my own style through watercolor.
from my Sunflower Moons collection
I collected library books about watercolor, and read them voraciously like riveting fiction novels in my spare time, and created stacks and stacks of paintings. It wasn't until I realized that anyone can learn technical skills, start a business, or design their own card line, but no one can see what you see and how you see it. That’s when I had my a-ha moment. This makes up the nucleus of style and creativity that we each uniquely own.
I had a blast running my card company along with painting the 50 states, but I noticed a shift happening. It was that the world needed something else... The world needed art, creativity and curiosity in a whole new way. The art of teaching creativity became my mission, to help curious creatives discover the joy of watercolor intuitively, no perfection needed, to tune into your own compass and find your own inner artist.
I believe that everyone has an artist within them, so if this peaks your curiosity, pack your artist suitcase, grab my Passport To Watercolor, The Beginner's Toolkit, and start your own painting adventure, one sketchbook, one brushstroke at a time.
