I have been wanting to start a blog for over three years now, but have never had the courage to actually start one until today. Now I am staring at my computer screen, ready to share all the things that I have been keeping inside of me, but when I had opened up my computer I was a little overwhelmed by the blank white page staring at me.

One of the things that has always scared me about starting a blog is actually starting. Makes sense, right?! What do I share first? I would always stop there and tell myself I will start tomorrow. Not today! After two cups of coffee and deleting words that made no sense, I thought about my favorite posts that I love to read when I come across a new blog, and that is their story. My story isn't a fancy one, but at least when you are done reading you will know me a little better.

Like most children arts and crafts were my favorite thing in the world, but I never knew it was something to take seriously until I was 11 years old when my Grandpa Fred offered to pay for me to take oil painting lessons. My grandpa knew I was artistic even before I did! I was so excited, but I remember thinking how can you be good at painting if you are not even good at drawing?! I was so nervous, and I had SO MANY questions for my new art teacher who I thought was going to transform me into Monet. My mom helped me look for an art teacher that was close, but we had no idea that every artist had their own painting style and we ended up hiring and abstract artist. At 11 years old I did not understand what abstract was. I wanted to learn how to paint horses, landscapes, and flowers and make them look realistic. I did not want to learn how to draw one eye sideways on a canvas. I was so confused, but I stuck it out and I ended up taking quite a few lessons from her. I learned so much during that time. Looking back, her paintings were AMAZING, I just didn't appreciate the beauty of abstract art then.

Time went by and I started to venture out into watercolor painting on my own, so I stopped taking oil classes. I would spend hours sitting outside painting, trying to figure out how watercolors worked. I learned fast that watercolors were nothing like oil paints! I knew at a young age that in order to get good at something I needed to practice and that is what I did. I was obsessed with Beatrix Potter at that time, that is part of the reason why I would sit outside and paint. I thought it was very romantic and of coarse that is what Beatrix Potter did.

If you don't know who Beatrix Potter is, do you know who Peter Rabbit is?!

I had no idea about the real opportunities there was with art. I remember being told by others that there was no money in being and artist, so I only thought of it as a fun hobby that I didn't have much time for anymore. As much as I hated it adulthood started sweeping in, taking the care free days away, and I had set painting aside, and I had set it aside for quite a few years.

While working at an apple orchard just down the road from my parents home back in Michigan I met Connor. It didn't take long at all to fall in love during that fall season, but I will write up another blog post for that story! It's a good one! Two years after we met we got married and moved to Georgia, and that is when I un-boxed my paintbrushes and started painting again.

That leads you to where I am today. Connor and I will have been married for two years. It is crazy how time flies by. During these last two years I have been painting my heart out, trying to find my own unique painting style. Flowers and woodland animals with a touch of whimsy are my favorite things to paint, but I know it can always change. Art is a journey that never ends.

I am so thankful that my Grandpa Fred encouraged me to paint at a young age. I don't think art would be as important as it is to me today if it wasn't for him.

My Art Story