Beautiful Girl

Hey beautiful girl…

I’ve watched you struggle to grow…
A cuddly bundle of soft whispy blond curls, just 3 years old quietly observing her world – to a now gorgeous 21 year old manager of an interior design store!

Like your favorite flower ????, what has seemed impossible has been the beacon in your life…
Your heart has been desert soil that you’ve fought to plant seeds in…
Salty drops from your searching eyes have fallen like rain-
nourishing this desert within your heart…
Each effort to try again… and then again has been a seed planted…
Each brave breath you’ve taken to build your own life you can feel proud of has been the sunlight to strengthen the roots…

I’ve watched you carefully, thoughtfully, count the costs of a vision in your mind of what life could be…
I’ve watched you consider what it could mean…
With eyes closed in faith, hands clutched – embracing the bouquet of young tender desert sunflowers not yet blossomed, you’ve taken a courageous step forward into the unknown…

Your own place…
Your own job…
School…
Seeking a greater role at work…
Seeking a greater role again… building a career of your own…
Taking care of your health…
Opening yourself up to love with someone to share a life with…

What a beautiful vibrant brave step each breath has been!

What was a barren land has progressively grown into a field of blossoming flowers within your heart.
Your belief in yourself grew this field of flowers!
Your brave adventure into self-discovery has led to a beautiful woman worthy of admiring.
How blessed
How lucky
How fortunate I am to be a witness to such a beautiful brave girl I get to call my niece.

Love you so so so soooo much! So proud of you!

Author Box 04
About the Artist

I am an advocate first, and an artist second. My paintings create visual comfort-- spaces where grief, hope, and healing can live together without apology...

I paint what matters most: the people you cherish, the moments that shaped you, the feelings that need witness. Through art, your most precious memories move outside of you and into your home, where they can be held, seen, and never forgotten.

My work is rooted in three commitments: honoring the experiences of indigenous communities and the history of the land we inhabit; creating safe space for children and women whose voices have been silenced; and recording the honest truth of lived experience-- both my own and that of those who came before me. I believe art has the power to tell stories that words alone cannot, and to preserve what must not be lost or forgotten. I believe that all that we know about ourselves is because Art has preserved those stories throughout history, outliving those who created it.

When you encounter my work, I hope you find yourself in it-- not as escape, but as recognition. I hope it reminds you that your feelings matter, that your story deserves to be held, and that compassion and truth are still worth carrying forward.

Art is the voice that speaks honestly through the heart. 💝🪷