This entry is about finding my way back to being an artist through faith and purpose.
It took me a long time to come back to painting— but looking back, I can see it never really left me. There was no way I was getting out of it!
✦ Growing Up in a Creative Home
I was raised by an artist, surrounded by color and creativity from day one. My mom went to an art college and although she never finished her degree it didn’t stop her from creating. Art was something we shared together by filling sketchbooks, trips to craft stores and hoarding art supplies. My favorite piece of hers is a pointillism piece of her “heart-horse” Sonny. Pictured below, it’s beautifully matted and framed and was a statement focal point in our home. It was no wonder that I followed in her footsteps and went to art school as well. It’s also easy to see how her style influenced mine.
✦ A Detour into Makeup
During a break from college I got a seasonal job at Sephora and for 16 years I built a career painting faces — still chasing beauty, just on a different canvas. But during this time I would only pick up a paintbrush maybe 3 times.
✦ The Christmas Gift That Changed Everything
The moment I created this painting for my mom, something clicked. My mom’s dog, Rhett, had been very sick and we weren’t sure if he was going to make it. I was inspired to create a painting of him after a pet portrait painting tutorial showed up on my social feed. I knew that I could do this and my gut feeling (God) pushed me.
I did it. And she loved it. I loved it. The dopamine high I got from it was unreal. I was so obsessed that I even took him back and kept working on him months later.
✦ A God-Given Gift
I truly believe God put this in my hands. I have tried to avoid it and put it off for months. I tried to paint so many times and I would sit down and get halfway through and put it down. Thinking I’m not good enough, knowing now that the enemy was speaking in my ear.
My husband and my mom kept asking and asking “Have you started that business yet?”, “When are you going to start painting?”, “You really should get on that painting thing.” FINALLY, my moms friend had a birthday coming up and I knew in my gut (it was God, duh!) that now was my time to jump back into this.
Then came Cooper.
even though Rhett got me started, it was cooper that opened the door for me.
After I finished Cooper I sent him to my husband just to show him how cool he turned out! Little did I know, he was in the process of sending this picture to almost everyone in his contact list telling them that I do pet portraits. The texts came flying in.
When God wants your attention, he will get it. If I wasn’t going to do this myself he was going to use my husband to push me. He made me make a price list and then I took the plunge and MLP STUDIO was born.
I’ve always wanted something that was mine. But it’s really His. With that I am now thrown into this. My goal now is to create with Him at the center.
Thank you so much for being here. I pray everyday that God uses this venture how He want’s it to go. I’m so excited to see where it goes.
