I started making art to change my own story. Illustrating my world with color and shape is my way of spreading joy & possibility.

In 2009 I needed a radical change in direction. So I started exploring my creative, right brain side and gave my left brain a much needed time out. My Holistic Nutrition Counseling path shifted to a home studio full of unfamiliar tools and blank spaces.

Story has always been at the heart of what I’ve done – music, writing, food and visual arts all have it at their core. Ancient and current healers know Story has the power to heal individuals and community. When you do what is right for you, everyone benefits.

I never intended to "become an artist". I just needed a way out of my analytic mind into a more spontaneous, creative space. The therapy of jumping into something in which I have no formal training has been profound. I've been grateful for the deep connections and support I’ve received in this endeavor in my local and global community. I have sold and shown in Wichita at art markets and galleries, but needed a space to put my creations in between events. So Peace Meal Art came to Etsy in 2013.

My Art Style

In many of my pieces, I use vintage papers or sewing pattern tissue in the background. Years ago I inherited a backlog of antique Etude Music Magazines ranging from the ‘30s to the ‘60’s. These magazines came to inspire much of the art I created and the stories and music of those on the pages live on as the foundation of my art. You will see layers of color, paper and story in my art. The intention is to invite the viewer to take more than a passing glance, to truly look beneath the surface and take in the story beneath. Some layers, you may never see. But they are there. And isn’t that life? Someone before us created a story that lives on in the things that surround us, and often we don’t know it. Sometimes, though - a moment of curiosity and openness to see something previously hidden can be profound.

Paper has long been a favorite medium to work with, going all the way back to childhood paper dolls. It felt natural to create small works of art in the collage style on greeting cards. I tend to work small anyway, so note cards are ideal. I like the personal, intimate message that can come with handing someone their own piece of art. I started making a few original greeting cards using stamps, stencils, markers, card stock and assorted embellishments to sell alongside my art at shows. They were so popular and enjoyable to create that it is now the largest section of my Etsy shop. Each card is unique - I never print or reproduce a card or use kits. I make frameable cards suitable for gift giving or to add to your own small art collection. Art cards are a fun way to make a big impact in someone’s world!

Our fur-babies are sometimes the closest things to our hearts. No slight to human loved ones, but these little creatures are so pure and devoted, it’s hard for humans to compete with that level of love.

We get to share our hearts, our lives, our food, our beds, our laughter and tears, our deepest pain and greatest joy with our pets. The unspoken agreement we all bear for this exchange? We know their time with us is far too short. We know that grief will come someday and we’ll have to let go of the paws that have left prints on our hearts. No matter what you believe, most of us feel deeply we will see them again – somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge where they romp free and happy.