Dear Reader

June’s birth flower is the rose—a symbol of love, new beginnings, and the beauty that unfolds when we allow ourselves to bloom. So it feels fitting that this newsletter marks not just the release of my new painting, The Song She Holds, but also a new shift in how I’ll be sharing with you each month. Alongside new work and offerings, I’ll be including more inspiration, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and favorite creative finds to enrich your creative journey.

In this issue, you’ll find:

• A look at The Song She Holds, a new painting inspired by roses & my art journal
• A peek into that original journal page and the question that sparked it
• A collection of rose-themed delights I’ve been saving just for you

May June be a month of beauty for you!!

New Painting: The Song She Holds​

​

​

From Art Journal to Canvas - the seeds of inspiration

​

Though The Song She Holds is a larger work at 24x24 inches, it actually began as a free-flowing mixed media art journal entry—sparked by a single card pull from my Synchronicity Oracle Deck.​

That morning, I felt the nudge to draw a card to guide my creativity. I pulled The Dreamer —a card that encourages us to translate the quiet messages of the natural world for others. It felt like the perfect starting point. So I sat down, let go of expectations, and just began layering color, image, and meaning on the page.

I loved the feeling and message that emerged from that piece so much that I decided to create a larger version—this time including a garden of blooming roses to honor June’s birth flower. The bird became a robin, inspired by the many robins that unexpectedly showed up in my students’ work during my recent Playful Blooms Art Retreat. It all felt like a gentle web of synchronicity pulling the story together.

This experience reminded me how powerful it can be to start small—with a tiny spark of inspiration and a willingness to follow where it leads. We don’t always know what we want to say when we sit down to create—but if we trust the first step (even on a private journal page), the art will often tell us.

Journey / Journal… coincidence? I don’t think so. :)

A Creative Prompt to Try Yourself (even if you're not an artist!!)

Even if you don’t have an art journal (yet), you can still begin. Grab a piece of paper and ask yourself: What’s whispering to be seen or heard today? Close your eyes, and acknowledge the first image you see. Even if it's weird or seems hard to draw, sketch it out. If you can't draw at all, write the word down for that image. Then, to build on this idea, look for that image in your day. If you can, take a picture of it! Or, find a picture online or in a magazine. Start small. Let the page—or scrap—speak first. Then keep building!

If the idea of using intuitive journaling as a path into deeper, more soulful artwork speaks to you, there’s still time to join me for Art Journal Alchemy. The journey begins this fall, but your creative shift can start now.

Rosy Round-Up

A handful of rose-inspired reels, tools, and treats that have brought me joy this month—just in case you’re craving a little floral beauty or have some June birthdays to consider.

• Check out this flat lay of different kinds of roses on Instagram from @gracerosefarm​
• Make a rose-shaped apple tart with @tastemade​
• ​Rose-Shaped Napkins for parties or collage!! Omg, I love these die-cut rose-shaped napkins. I know it's a bulk item, but you can entertain with most of them, and make art from the rest! Or use them for a class.

• ​Rose Stencil by Cat Kerr from StencilGirl Products- this is a beautiful rose stencil to add to your creative projects.

​

"Of all flowers, methinks a rose is best."— William Shakespeare, Two Noble Kinsmen (Act II, Scene II)

​

​
​Unsubscribe · Preferences​