When I was a girl, I got lost in picture books with photos of character dioramas, like the miniature scenes on a View-Master reel or the small world inside a snow globe. I love to bring that sense of wonder and story-telling to a painting.

I often spend 30 plus hours on a small painting, highlighting the little details that make my subjects interesting to me. I like to leave clues that someone has just stepped outside the scene, like flour on a kitchen counter and paw prints on the floor, or scattered stacks of records and a turntable still playing. I also can’t help but add a humorous or whimsical aspect to anything I paint.

I especially love painting vintage items and scenes from a different era. I can’t afford to buy all of the antiques I fall in love with (or travel back in time), but I can paint them. I am guilty of romanticizing the past in my paintings. Admittedly, this is a form of healthy escapism for me. Sometimes, I get lost with a brush in my hand and suddenly realize hours have passed. 

Amid the isolation of the pandemic—and the need for a break from helping my kids navigate online school—I discovered a real passion for painting. I believe that God kept this treasure hidden from me until 2020 because it certainly would have taken me away from being present when my boys were small and needed my help the most—they are both teenagers now.

I thank God that I have finally found a creative outlet that is a spiritual and mental release for me. There are so many ways that art can connect you with the Creator, the artist, the viewer. I love this aspect of the creative arts. You never know what will draw someone in or why. I always try to come to my painting table with a sense of wonder, imagination, and openness. I continue to be surprised by the little worlds that unfold before my eyes.