The Beginnings of Joy 16x20 Mixed Media on a 20x28 canvas
The Beginnings of Joy marks a shift—an intentional move toward lightness, toward play, toward the small flickers of joy that can begin to emerge even in the midst of uncertainty.
Created with acrylic, oil pastels, and paper stars punched from ArtQuest’s own supply shelves, this piece is a celebration of whimsy in the wake of heaviness. After weeks of sitting with the weight of my diagnosis, this painting became a doorway back to delight—not because the grief was gone, but because I was ready to let something else in too.
The stars became symbolic: of hope, of wonder, of permission to play again. Their presence on the canvas reminded me that joy doesn't have to be earned. It can arrive unannounced, soft but insistent. It can grow alongside the sorrow.
This piece was a release. A loosening. A return to the small, bright moments that make space for healing.
Materials: acrylic paint, oil pastel, and collaged paper stars on unstretched canvas
Each piece in Where the Ink Ran Out was created during or in preparation for my residency at ArtQuest at GreenHill, where my intention was to explore what couldn’t be fully expressed through words alone. All works are on loose, unstretched canvas, with a 16x20 area hand-gessoed at the center, leaving an unprimed border around the edges. I love how this allows the raw edges and natural wrinkles of the canvas to create dimension—each one casting its own subtle shadows. These pieces are meant to be framed in a way that honors that softness and relief, rather than flattening them completely. I also pushed the boundaries of mixed media in this collection, using embroidery floss as a connective and highlighting element—stitched into the canvas like a drawn line, guiding the eye and anchoring the emotion.
The Beginnings of Joy marks a shift—an intentional move toward lightness, toward play, toward the small flickers of joy that can begin to emerge even in the midst of uncertainty.
Created with acrylic, oil pastels, and paper stars punched from ArtQuest’s own supply shelves, this piece is a celebration of whimsy in the wake of heaviness. After weeks of sitting with the weight of my diagnosis, this painting became a doorway back to delight—not because the grief was gone, but because I was ready to let something else in too.
The stars became symbolic: of hope, of wonder, of permission to play again. Their presence on the canvas reminded me that joy doesn't have to be earned. It can arrive unannounced, soft but insistent. It can grow alongside the sorrow.
This piece was a release. A loosening. A return to the small, bright moments that make space for healing.
Materials: acrylic paint, oil pastel, and collaged paper stars on unstretched canvas
Each piece in Where the Ink Ran Out was created during or in preparation for my residency at ArtQuest at GreenHill, where my intention was to explore what couldn’t be fully expressed through words alone. All works are on loose, unstretched canvas, with a 16x20 area hand-gessoed at the center, leaving an unprimed border around the edges. I love how this allows the raw edges and natural wrinkles of the canvas to create dimension—each one casting its own subtle shadows. These pieces are meant to be framed in a way that honors that softness and relief, rather than flattening them completely. I also pushed the boundaries of mixed media in this collection, using embroidery floss as a connective and highlighting element—stitched into the canvas like a drawn line, guiding the eye and anchoring the emotion.
The Beginnings of Joy marks a shift—an intentional move toward lightness, toward play, toward the small flickers of joy that can begin to emerge even in the midst of uncertainty.
Created with acrylic, oil pastels, and paper stars punched from ArtQuest’s own supply shelves, this piece is a celebration of whimsy in the wake of heaviness. After weeks of sitting with the weight of my diagnosis, this painting became a doorway back to delight—not because the grief was gone, but because I was ready to let something else in too.
The stars became symbolic: of hope, of wonder, of permission to play again. Their presence on the canvas reminded me that joy doesn't have to be earned. It can arrive unannounced, soft but insistent. It can grow alongside the sorrow.
This piece was a release. A loosening. A return to the small, bright moments that make space for healing.
Materials: acrylic paint, oil pastel, and collaged paper stars on unstretched canvas
Each piece in Where the Ink Ran Out was created during or in preparation for my residency at ArtQuest at GreenHill, where my intention was to explore what couldn’t be fully expressed through words alone. All works are on loose, unstretched canvas, with a 16x20 area hand-gessoed at the center, leaving an unprimed border around the edges. I love how this allows the raw edges and natural wrinkles of the canvas to create dimension—each one casting its own subtle shadows. These pieces are meant to be framed in a way that honors that softness and relief, rather than flattening them completely. I also pushed the boundaries of mixed media in this collection, using embroidery floss as a connective and highlighting element—stitched into the canvas like a drawn line, guiding the eye and anchoring the emotion.
When you purchase an original, if you don’t choose to pick it up from the studio you will be sent an additional invoice for shipping costs.
This piece is not framed (framed pictures are just to give you context of how the piece could look framed. No refunds or exchanges. All sales are final.