Remember when you were little and they taught you how to paint an umbrella? The bottom curves made little “m” shapes, and the handle curved like a “j.”

Somewhere between the rainbows and the messy palettes, that moment planted a seed. Back then, art wasn’t about being good — it was about joy.

Fast forward a few decades…..

College came and went. I painted a bit with friends — late nights, lots of laughter, and a jar of cloudy water on the dorm desk. Then came marriage, kids, carpools, business meetings, and bills. Add a divorce, a second marriage, bonus kids, and I just became a Gigi to the sweetest baby girl (which still makes me grin every time I say it!). Life, as it tends to do, got wonderfully full — and painting quietly slipped off the page.

I built a small business that I love, helping students attend college without debt. I create digital designs, dream up ideas, and decorate my home with florals and wallpaper — I’m a lifelong creator at heart. But one afternoon, in the middle of life’s noise and hustle, it hit me: I want to go back to what brings me pure, unfiltered happiness.

Painting.

I’m not an artist — not really. I can’t draw a straight line to save my life. My paintings would never hang in a gallery, but they hang in my heart. There’s something magical about dipping a brush into color and watching it dance across paper — unpredictable, imperfect, alive.

Then one day, scrolling social media (which I mostly claim to hate), I stumbled across Andrea Nelson. She’s my new best friend. We spent hours together every week. She has no idea who I am, but she brought painting back into my life. Her joy was contagious. I picked up a brush again, and suddenly, my stress faded, my joy increased, and my phone stayed silent. Scrolling was replaced with sketching.

Now, instead of lost hours on the web, I spend hours in my sketchbook — playing, laughing, and letting color tell stories. In fact, my daily journal has become a marriage of journaling and watercolor painting.

I want to invite you into that kind of joy too.

Soon, I’ll be hosting watercolor retreats and workshops — casual, creative get-togethers where you can come as you are. I’ll provide everything you need: watercolor paper pre-printed with that month’s theme, brushes, paints, and plenty of encouragement. You just bring yourself — and maybe a friend who’s ready to rediscover her creative spark.

We’ll paint, laugh, and sip something cozy. You’ll go home with your own masterpiece — but more importantly, with a lighter heart.

No rules. No perfection. Just creativity, connection, and a reminder that sometimes, joy shows up in the simplest strokes of color.

So, whether it’s been decades since you picked up a paintbrush or you’ve never tried watercolor at all, you’re welcome here.

Let’s create together.