From Starter to Story

Finding a Landing Space

Before this collection ever existed, I was already painting. But if I’m honest, I was hopping from subject to subject, trying to find a place to land. I loved the process, but I hadn’t yet found the thread that tied it all together.

When Laurie from Big Heart Bakery approached me about a collaboration, it felt like a safe landing space—a chance to anchor my creativity in something new.

Lighting the Match

Her vision of bringing sourdough and baked goods into art felt like the perfect invitation, and honestly, her belief in me was the match that lit the flame.

That’s how the Comforts & Cravings Collection was born. It wasn’t just my first full collection, it was the first time I really felt myself step into being an artist in a complete way. The right time, the right people, and the readiness to do life differently all collided—and suddenly, I was holding something finished in my hands.

Painting Courage

Through this collaboration, I painted bread, pastries, and all the warm comforts of the table. But more than that—I painted my own courage. The courage to finish. The courage to celebrate myself instead of waiting for someone else to do it.

Proof on the Wall

Seeing these pieces on display in a local bakery—being purchased, being seen—became more than just art hanging on a wall. It was proof that one step at a time, something imagined on the inside could manifest on the outside.

Feeding the Spark

This collection taught me that sparks can come from anywhere: from a kind word, from a collaboration, or from a tiny idea that won’t let you go. But what matters most is what we do with them. For me, the Comforts & Cravings Collection was more than bread and paint—it was the start of seeing myself through my art.

And that, friends, is a spark I plan to keep feeding.