love Letters to Myself
Last October, I came out of a months-long season of anxiety - the worst I had experienced to date. At the time, I was startled to realize I had just 6 months left of being a twenty-something. I was left with this profound feeling like my life was nowhere like what I expected it to be, and yet somehow it was much more wonderful than I could have imagined.
There is so much room to grow and learn and explore. And at the same time, there is also so much beauty in my life just as it is right now. I have these big beautiful dreams for the life I’m creating. And I’m starting to realize that I need to slow down and smell the roses, enjoy this moment while I’ve got it.
I claimed my last six months of being a twentysomething as the season of me falling in love with myself, just as I am, in the life that I’m living, just as it is. I’m weird and wonderful and most of all I’m happy. These paintings are my love letters to myself during this season of healing and growth and acceptance. A celebration of my quest for joy and discovery of peace. A hope for a brighter future while relishing in the beauty (and sometimes hardship) of the current moment.
In these paintings you’ll find repeating elements - sometimes explored in different ways. Polka dots, trails of dots, flowers, the juxtaposition of gloss and matte, mandala-esque line work. Playfulness, energy, freedom. Joy. I explored the idea of creating a lexicon of imagery used to tell the story of falling in love with my life. The titles are a fun mixture of texts I’ve sent or received, pop culture references, affirmations and acceptances of who I am, and a stupid joke that helped get me through one of the worst periods of my life. The collection is full of color and experimentation. It’s somehow joyful and deep at the same time.
There is so much room to grow and learn and explore. And at the same time, there is also so much beauty in my life just as it is right now. I have these big beautiful dreams for the life I’m creating. And I’m starting to realize that I need to slow down and smell the roses, enjoy this moment while I’ve got it.
I claimed my last six months of being a twentysomething as the season of me falling in love with myself, just as I am, in the life that I’m living, just as it is. I’m weird and wonderful and most of all I’m happy. These paintings are my love letters to myself during this season of healing and growth and acceptance. A celebration of my quest for joy and discovery of peace. A hope for a brighter future while relishing in the beauty (and sometimes hardship) of the current moment.
In these paintings you’ll find repeating elements - sometimes explored in different ways. Polka dots, trails of dots, flowers, the juxtaposition of gloss and matte, mandala-esque line work. Playfulness, energy, freedom. Joy. I explored the idea of creating a lexicon of imagery used to tell the story of falling in love with my life. The titles are a fun mixture of texts I’ve sent or received, pop culture references, affirmations and acceptances of who I am, and a stupid joke that helped get me through one of the worst periods of my life. The collection is full of color and experimentation. It’s somehow joyful and deep at the same time.
Love Letter postcardsOne of my favorite parts of the Love Letters to Myself collection is the wall of Love Letter postcards. Each postcard is hand painted on the front and the back features a handwritten “love letter” on the back.
The idea was inspired by these little cards from Moo that they ship with my business cards and other printed paraphernalia. One side of the card is boring print details and the other is this cute little message like “you’re cooler than chocolate milk.” And what could be a fairly mundane piece of paper is transformed into a magical little moment for me. And so I wanted to create these postcards with sweet messages and words of encouragement that I hope resonate with people. |
Available Paintings
Be Brave
$60.00
Occasionally I will write myself little messages on sticky notes - either affirmations, words of encouragement, or things to remember. I wanted Be Brave and Have Courage to feel like these little sticky notes. They are 4"x6" and 6"x4" respectively, and they are packed full of color and imagery.
Size Details: "Be Brave" is a 4"x6" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Je Ne Sais Quoi
$90.00
In French "je ne sais quoi" is an ineffable quality. She's got a certain je ne sais quoi. It literally means an "I don't know what". Je Ne Sais Quoi is part of a triptych of "I" statements along with I Like my Chai Double Dirty and I Deserve a Gold Star.
Size Details: "Je Ne Sais Quoi" is a 8"x8" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
I Like my Chai Double Dirty
$90.00
A double dirty chai is a chai latte with two shots of espresso. For some reason the tea and coffee combination makes my little heart happy. It is my go-to drink at nearly every coffee shop (unless I'm getting black coffee). I Like my Chai Double Dirty is part of a triptych of "I" statements along with Je Ne Sais Quoi and I Deserve a Gold Star.
Size Details: "I Like my Chai Double Dirty" is a 8"x8" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Enjoy the Journey
$90.00
Learning to enjoy the journey has been a practice for me lately. While I have big dreams and things that I want to accomplish, enjoying where I'm at and loving my life now is also important. Living my life in the future isn't a recipe for success. I've needed to learn to be present and Enjoy the Journey.
Size Details: "Enjoy the Journey" is a 8"x8" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
The Perpetual Discrepancy Between the Soul & Its Envelope
$90.00
The Perpetual Discrepancy Between the Soul & Its Envelope comes from the book The French Art of Not Trying Too Hard by Ollivier Pourriol (included on the suggested reading list for the collection. This poetic line gets to the core idea of suffering in the Buddhist teachings. Our envelopes are prone to greed, anger, and ignorance (wanting things, not wanting things, and being unaware). I got chills when I read this line in his book because it hit home that hard.
Size Details: "The Perpetual Discrepancy Between the Soul & Its Envelope" is a 8"x8" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Questionable Karma
$90.00
There is a guided meditation that I occasionally listen to that talks through the idea of equanimity and spreading loving kindness to all beings. While I’m mostly on board with that, there are a few people that I have a hard time extending loving kindness to. And it's not that I wish them ill will.. just minor inconveniences. And I’ve made peace with that level of questionable karma.
Size Details: "Questionable Karma" is a 8"x8" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Amuse Bouche
$60.00
In French, amuse bouche means "entertain the mouth." It usually refers to a little bite served before the main course of a fancy dinner used to delight the diners and get their mouth ready for what's to come. With my Amuse Bouche painting, I had the idea that it would serve as an Amuse Bouche for the collection. A tiny little bite-sized painting that gives you a taste of the collection.
Size Details: "Amuse Bouche" is a 9"x3" oil painting on stretched canvas. There are hanging hooks on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving
$160.00
In the movie 13 Going on 30, the 13 year old version of the main character wishes in a closet to be “Thirty, Flirty, & Thriving” like she read in a magazine article to escape from her struggles as an awkward teen. If you had asked me at 13 or even 20 what I thought “Thirty, Flirty, & Thriving” would look like, I would have given you an answer that is very different than the version I am living now.
Size Details: "Thirty, Flirty, & Thriving" is a 12"x12" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Location: This painting is currently on display at Comedy City in De Pere, WI.
Not the Vodka Cranberry Type
$160.00
Vodka Cranberries are sometimes seen as the quintessential female drink - and yet I cannot stand them. I don’t drink vodka, and I’m not really a fan of fruity drinks. Except fruited sour beers - those are my favorite. This felt like another thing on the (long) list of things that made me feel like a black sheep, but now I enjoy owning everything on that list and being me - as weird as I am.
Size Details: "Not the Vodka Cranberry Type" is a 12"x12" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Location: This painting is currently on display at Comedy City in De Pere, WI.
Buy the Flowers
$230.00
I used to wait for the person or the next milestone in life before I started living. But then I started buying myself the flowers instead of waiting for someone to buy them for me. I started going out and doing things I wanted to do instead of waiting for someone to go with. I didn’t need to keep waiting for something to happen before I could start enjoying my life. I can enjoy my life now.
Size Details: "Buy the Flowers" is a 16"x13" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Location: This painting is currently on display at Comedy City in De Pere, WI.
Don’t Force a Story that Isn’t Working
$215.00
I have been guilty of trying to force a story or a path in life that clearly wasn’t working for me. I felt like I was swimming against the current and working hard to get nowhere. Hitting roadblocks and resistance at every turn. It felt like no matter how hard I worked or how much I wanted something, it was just out of reach for me. But that isn’t always the case. Sometimes - when it’s the right story - things flow easily and the resistance felt in the wrong story floats away. This painting feels like getting swept up in the current, and moving forward gracefully in a story that is working.
Size Details: "Don't Force a Story that Isn't Working" is a 14"x14" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
What’s the Worst that Could Happen?
$215.00
It sounds completely counterintuitive, but asking myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” is one of the ways I help manage anxious thoughts. For some reason, it really helps to put things into perspective for me. In this painting, my goal was to create a chaos that felt manageable. The primary colors and basic shapes allow for the chaos to be sorted and categorized. It can be put into perspective.
Size Details: "What's the Worst that Could Happen?" is a 14"x14" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
It’s a Vibe
$170.00
I don't think I could tell the story of this collection without including a chapter about my body and learning to fall in love with it. There have been many times in my life when I hated my body, starved her or overfed her, used exercise as a punishment or didn't move her, treated her poorly, picked at every flaw and imperfection, or wished that she could look different - better, thinner, prettier.
And now I'm finally at a place where I am thankful for everything my body has done for me. She's not perfect, but she does a pretty remarkable job of getting me around in this world. And I want to take care of her as well as I can because this is the only body I have, and I don't get a spare.
Size Details: "It's a Vibe" is a 11"x14" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
With Sprinkles & a Cherry on Top
$170.00
I have a huge sweet tooth, and I love to give myself desserts as a reward. With Sprinkles & a Cherry on Top is a celebration and a joyous way to live life. It's adding that little extra oomph to make something even more special and delicious.
Size Details: "With Sprinkles & a Cherry on Top" is a 11"x14" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Sunny & 75
$230.00
I saw a reel that talked about the idea that it's easy to be on your best behavior during favorable conditions and when things are going well. But it's the moments when things aren't going well that will make being on your best behavior challenging. This got me thinking about what my favorable conditions are and how I can try to create more of them for myself while understanding that plenty of things in life will absolutely be out of my control.
And for me, I consider favorable weather conditions to be sunny & 75.
Size Details: "Sunny & 75" is a 16"x13" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is beading and a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Location: This painting is currently on display at Comedy City in De Pere, WI.
Love Letter postcards
$25.00
The Love Letter postcards are inspired by the little notes that Moo sends with my orders for business cards and other packaging materials. There is a little card with print details on one side and a cute message like "you're cooler than chocolate milk" on the back. I collect them. Because its adorable and it puts a smile on my face.
So my Love Letter postcards have a painting on the front and a little "love letter" on the back. These are love letters and little reminders that I have needed, and I hope they resonate with you as well.
SPOILER ALERT:
I wasn't sure if people would want to know what their "love letter" said or not, so I'm giving you the option. You can purchase a Love Letter postcard blind and be surprised by the message on the back, or you can look at the list below to see what the message says and handpick one that resonates with you (or the person you are buying it for).
Love Letters:
#1 - I love your confidence
#2 - I love your persistence
#3 - I love when you speak your mind - SOLD
#4 - I love when you dream big
#5 - I love your pride
#6 - I love your tenacity
#7 - I love your gumption
#8 - I love your fortitude
#9 - I love when you set boundaries
#10 - I love your wisdom
#11 - I love your sparkle
#12 - I love when you shine brightly - SOLD
#13 - I love your kindness - SOLD
#14 - I love your compassion
#15 - I love your generosity - SOLD
#16 - I love when you challenge the status quo
#17 - I love when you stick up for yourself
#18 - I love when you show up as you - SOLD
#19 - I love your wildness
#20 - I love when you find inner peace - SOLD
#21 - I love your bravery
#22 - I love when you're in the moment
#23 - I love your laugh
#24 - I love your smile
Size Details: Each Love Letter postcard is a 4.75"x4.75" oil painting on cardstock.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
The Wonderful Impracticality of Glass Slippers
$2,000.00
Size Details: "The Wonderful Impracticality of Glass Slippers" is a 60"x36" oil painting on stretched canvas. There is a hanging wire on the back.
Shipping: Domestic shipping (within the United States) is included with the cost of the piece. For international shipping, please email [email protected] with the piece you are interested in and your address to receive a quote for international shipping.
Special Shipping Note: Due to the size, this painting will ship rolled. Before shipping, I will remove it from its stretcher bars and carefully roll the painting. Once it arrives, you can take the painting to a professional framing shop to have it re-stretched. If you are within 250 miles of Green Bay, WI and would like to discuss drop off or pick up instead of shipping, please email me at [email protected].
Payment Plans: I understand that purchasing a large piece of artwork is an investment, and I want to make sure that you can make your dreams a reality. For paintings over $1000, I offer flexible payment plans ranging from 2-12 months. Once the last payment is made, your painting will be shipped or delivered. Email me at [email protected] to discuss a payment plan.