WELCOME TO MY STUDIO

This is where I come to play, express, and create just for the joy of it. After years of surviving, healing, and rebuilding—I needed a place where nothing had to be perfect. Where I could get messy, use my hands, and let color speak for me. Some of the art you’ll find here was made during deep healing. Some of it was made with music turned up, paint in my locs, and joy spilling out. No rules. No expectations. Just art from the soul. ✨

Thanks for stepping inside.

While creating is my soul’s playground, a few pieces here are available to be lovingly adopted into new homes.

Click into any that call to you.

"Waves of Emotion" Acrylic on 11x16 paper One of my most personal pieces. She poured through me when I had too much to hold— and nowhere left to put it but here. The waves carry everything: grief, anger, hope, surrender, and the colors that don’t a

"Waves of Emotion" Acrylic on 11x16 paper One of my most personal pieces. She poured through me when I had too much to hold— and nowhere left to put it but here. The waves carry everything: grief, anger, hope, surrender, and the colors that don’t always have names. The sky holds the storm, but the ocean moves through it. Just like me. This is how I process. This is how I heal. Art as emotion. Art as movement. Art as remembering: nothing is too much to feel. Available for adoption

"Unraveling" Acrylic on 11x16 paper This piece came through as I was peeling back the layers— the ones placed on me by upbringing, religion, and inherited beliefs. Every line is a thread I had to tug at. Every color a part of the story I once accep

"Unraveling" Acrylic on 11x16 paper This piece came through as I was peeling back the layers— the ones placed on me by upbringing, religion, and inherited beliefs. Every line is a thread I had to tug at. Every color a part of the story I once accepted without question. The golden path running through it? That’s my truth. The one I had to find by letting it all come undone. This is the becoming. The sacred tangle. The choice to unravel what no longer fits and make space for what’s real. Available for adoption

"Constraint as Catalyst" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel This piece was created with one rule: only red and yellow. What emerged was a layered, living landscape of curves, textures, and story. What began as a color limitation became a portal— a way to

"Constraint as Catalyst" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel This piece was created with one rule: only red and yellow. What emerged was a layered, living landscape of curves, textures, and story. What began as a color limitation became a portal— a way to explore what’s possible within boundaries, not despite them. A quiet reminder that sometimes the most vibrant revelations come when we choose to stay inside the lines… and then reimagine them completely. Available for adoption

"Sacred Scroll" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel Another exploration of limitation— this time with purple and yellow. I set out to let two colors teach me what was possible. And what emerged felt… ancient. Feminine. Soft and powerful. This piece feels

"Sacred Scroll" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel Another exploration of limitation— this time with purple and yellow. I set out to let two colors teach me what was possible. And what emerged felt… ancient. Feminine. Soft and powerful. This piece feels like a whisper in paint. A sacred scroll. A remembering. Created with constraint. Infused with freedom. Available for adoption

"Inspiration from Injury" Acrylic on 11x16 paper I created this not long after my brain injury— during nights when I couldn’t sleep. The nightmares, the panic attacks, the fog… they were constant. But inside all the frustration and grief, something

"Inspiration from Injury" Acrylic on 11x16 paper I created this not long after my brain injury— during nights when I couldn’t sleep. The nightmares, the panic attacks, the fog… they were constant. But inside all the frustration and grief, something else was blooming. The shape on the left began as the line of my scar. I followed it—and a bouquet emerged. This painting holds the duality of healing: the anger and the growth, the limitations and the expansion, the stillness and the soul-level transformation. It’s messy. Raw. And also peaceful. A bouquet from a scar. A body still finding beauty in the wake of pain. Available for adoption

"Heffalumps & Healing" Acrylic on 11x16 paper One of my earliest works after my brain injury. I wasn’t trying to paint anything specific— I just wanted to play. And then these two abstract elephants appeared. Bold. Whimsical. A little ridiculous.

"Heffalumps & Healing" Acrylic on 11x16 paper One of my earliest works after my brain injury. I wasn’t trying to paint anything specific— I just wanted to play. And then these two abstract elephants appeared. Bold. Whimsical. A little ridiculous. But joyful. They reminded me that even in pain, even in relearning how to create, joy can still visit the canvas. This one feels like laughter. Like inner child permission. Like the moment I remembered: “I still know how to have fun.” Available for adoption

"Soft Return" Acrylic & Oil Pastels on 11x16 paper One of my first mixed media explorations after my injury. I didn’t plan anything— I just needed to move color, to layer gently, to return to creation in a way that felt soft, forgiving, and mine.

"Soft Return" Acrylic & Oil Pastels on 11x16 paper One of my first mixed media explorations after my injury. I didn’t plan anything— I just needed to move color, to layer gently, to return to creation in a way that felt soft, forgiving, and mine. This piece holds no sharp edges. Just breath. Texture. And quiet beauty. A moment of remembering that healing doesn’t have to be loud— sometimes it just floats back in like a petal on water. Available for adoption.

"Pele" Acrylic on 11x16 paper This piece began as an abstract sunset. But as I painted, I felt her presence— Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and creation. She came through in the colors, the energy, the movement. A call to Hawaiʻi. A reminder of

"Pele" Acrylic on 11x16 paper This piece began as an abstract sunset. But as I painted, I felt her presence— Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and creation. She came through in the colors, the energy, the movement. A call to Hawaiʻi. A reminder of the power of transformation. This painting is an offering. A connection to the sacred. A step on my journey toward becoming. Available for adoption

"Singing Me To Her" Acrylic on 11x16 paper I painted this while dreaming of Hawaii— not as a vacation, but as a becoming. The waves, soft and rhythmic, feel like breath. The sun, dipping behind the horizon, feels like surrender. This is how paradi

"Singing Me To Her" Acrylic on 11x16 paper I painted this while dreaming of Hawaii— not as a vacation, but as a becoming. The waves, soft and rhythmic, feel like breath. The sun, dipping behind the horizon, feels like surrender. This is how paradise speaks to me— not loudly, but with light, warmth, and welcome. Every stroke was a yes to my future. A prayer in color. A reminder: I belong to beauty. Available for adoption

"This Is Why We Fight" Black & white collage on 12x12 wood panel This piece is political. It’s personal. And it’s messy on purpose. Centered around a drag queen and a crucifix angled through her chest, it holds themes of spiritual harm, white supre

"This Is Why We Fight" Black & white collage on 12x12 wood panel This piece is political. It’s personal. And it’s messy on purpose. Centered around a drag queen and a crucifix angled through her chest, it holds themes of spiritual harm, white supremacy, anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, environmental collapse, and the resilience of those forced to resist. Look closer and you’ll see gas masks, protest headlines, bodies, tension, and truth. It’s not a call for comfort. It’s a call to see. A visual unmasking of the systems that try to bury beauty and freedom—and a reminder that art has always been a tool of revolution. Available for adoption

"Joy In Motion" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel This was meant to be just a background. A base layer. But then these dancing shapes showed up— leaping, laughing, living. And I couldn’t keep going. I didn’t want to cover them. It felt like joy interru

"Joy In Motion" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel This was meant to be just a background. A base layer. But then these dancing shapes showed up— leaping, laughing, living. And I couldn’t keep going. I didn’t want to cover them. It felt like joy interrupted me— and I decided to let it stay. This piece makes me smile every time I see it. And sometimes that’s more than enough. Available for adoption

"Warrioress of the Flame" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Not Available — She has always been with me. I didn’t always know her name— but I felt her fury rising in my chest, her footsteps beside mine in every dark hallway. She came through my hands as I

"Warrioress of the Flame" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Not Available — She has always been with me. I didn’t always know her name— but I felt her fury rising in my chest, her footsteps beside mine in every dark hallway. She came through my hands as I worked with anger on the canvas— not to tame it, but to name it. The background holds the tangled forest of my past— the shadowlands of abuse, survival, and slow return. She stands inside it all. Watching. Unapologetic. Ready to burn the false stories to ash. She says: “I know our path. I know our purpose. And you can use my voice if ever you can't find yours.” — Not Available —

"Branches of Her Heart" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas - Not Available - I painted this for my mom. It’s soft and still. Just like the kind of love she gives—quiet, steady, always there. The flowers feel like her warmth. The birds feel like the way she m

"Branches of Her Heart" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas - Not Available - I painted this for my mom. It’s soft and still. Just like the kind of love she gives—quiet, steady, always there. The flowers feel like her warmth. The birds feel like the way she makes people feel safe to land. This piece is a thank you. For every gentle word. Every open door. Every way she made me feel like I could rest and grow at the same time. Made with love. For the woman who gave me mine. — Not Available —

"Casa de Sueños" Acrylic on 12x12 canvas — Not Available — This one was just fun to paint. Based on a photo that wasn’t mine— but as I brought it to life, I couldn’t help but pour in my own love of color, detail, and story. The texture of the ston

"Casa de Sueños" Acrylic on 12x12 canvas — Not Available — This one was just fun to paint. Based on a photo that wasn’t mine— but as I brought it to life, I couldn’t help but pour in my own love of color, detail, and story. The texture of the stone, the warmth of the wall, that pop of blue behind a veil of vines— it felt like a place I’ve visited in my dreams. And judging by the response? I think I’m not the only one who wants to step inside. — Not Available —

"Blessed After Him" Mixed media on 18x18 cradled panel - Not Available - This piece was made for my father. The central image captures four generations—my great grandfather, grandfather, father, and my brother as a baby. I repeated that image in s

"Blessed After Him" Mixed media on 18x18 cradled panel - Not Available - This piece was made for my father. The central image captures four generations—my great grandfather, grandfather, father, and my brother as a baby. I repeated that image in shadow and layers to reflect the echo of legacy— how the influence of a righteous man doesn’t end with him, but ripples outward. The family crest, the German and Hebrew symbols for “father,” and the verse from Proverbs 20:7 are all included intentionally— a reflection of my dad’s calling as a pastor, a provider, and a pillar. This painting is my offering back to him— a way to say I see you. I honor what you’ve built. And I carry it forward. — Not Available —

"Still, With You" Acrylic on 18x18 Canvas | Gifted to My Son & Daughter-in-Law — Not Available — A quiet meditation in form, space, and connection. This piece was created as a Christmas gift—anchored in warmth and built from simple shapes that hol

"Still, With You" Acrylic on 18x18 Canvas | Gifted to My Son & Daughter-in-Law — Not Available — A quiet meditation in form, space, and connection. This piece was created as a Christmas gift—anchored in warmth and built from simple shapes that hold deeper meaning. The vase form represents grounding and lineage. The rising plant, new beginnings. The arch echoes safety and growth, while the dark sphere above evokes mystery and steady presence. Made with intention. Given with love. — Not Available —

"Even While Apart" Acrylic on 18x18 canvas | Second in a gifted pair — Not Available — Created as a companion piece to Still, With You, this painting honors connection that endures beyond presence—rooted, whole, and woven in love. The deep blue ves

"Even While Apart" Acrylic on 18x18 canvas | Second in a gifted pair — Not Available — Created as a companion piece to Still, With You, this painting honors connection that endures beyond presence—rooted, whole, and woven in love. The deep blue vessel holds quiet strength, while soft botanical forms and glowing earth tones evoke warmth, growth, and sacred simplicity. A sphere hovers above like a steady sun—or perhaps a second soul—gently illuminating the space between. This piece speaks to the beauty of partnership that stretches across time, space, and season. For the love that remains—even while apart. — Not Available —

"Mama" Acrylic on 18x18 canvas | Gifted in memoriam | — Not Available — Painted as a sacred tribute, this piece was created for my niece to honor her mother—my beloved sister-in-law—whose spirit now visits as a white butterfly. Her favorite flower,

"Mama" Acrylic on 18x18 canvas | Gifted in memoriam | — Not Available — Painted as a sacred tribute, this piece was created for my niece to honor her mother—my beloved sister-in-law—whose spirit now visits as a white butterfly. Her favorite flower, the tuberose, blooms softly beneath golden wings, glowing with memory, scent, and presence. Set against a serene sky of teal and cobalt, this piece whispers connection, remembrance, and eternal love. Even when we can’t hold them, we are held. Even when they leave, they stay. Mama, you’re still here. In the hush of wings. In the bloom of every gentle thing. — Not Available —

"Held in the Swirl" Mixed media (acrylic + real rose petals) on 12x12 wood panel — Not Available — This piece is a love letter wrapped in layers. The rose petals embedded here came from a flower my nephew gave me— a small act of kindness during a r

"Held in the Swirl" Mixed media (acrylic + real rose petals) on 12x12 wood panel — Not Available — This piece is a love letter wrapped in layers. The rose petals embedded here came from a flower my nephew gave me— a small act of kindness during a really hard season. He’s going through a lot. And this piece holds that complexity: love and heartbreak, beauty and overwhelm. There’s movement. Texture. A little chaos. And that feels just right. Sometimes the mess is the message. Sometimes the petal is the prayer.

"Freedom Bird" (Embroidered Quetzal) Hand embroidery, 5-inch hoop - Not Available - This bird is part of my story. Years ago, when I was still in my abusive marriage and deep inside the church, a friend prayed over me. She said, “Joanna, you are a

"Freedom Bird" (Embroidered Quetzal) Hand embroidery, 5-inch hoop - Not Available - This bird is part of my story. Years ago, when I was still in my abusive marriage and deep inside the church, a friend prayed over me. She said, “Joanna, you are a beautiful, colorful bird—and you were never meant to be caged.” At the time, I didn’t know what freedom would look like. I only knew that something inside me was still alive. The quetzal became my personal symbol of freedom— a bird that can’t survive in captivity. A reminder that my joy, my color, my self could never be truly contained. She lives with me now—stitched by hand, feather by feather. A soft rebellion. A sacred remembering. A prayer answered. - Not For Sale -

"Sacred In The Chaos" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel — Not Available — This one started as simple play. Black and white. Contrast and flow. But as I painted, patterns emerged— sacred geometry, growth shapes, and soft chaos weaving their way through.

"Sacred In The Chaos" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel — Not Available — This one started as simple play. Black and white. Contrast and flow. But as I painted, patterns emerged— sacred geometry, growth shapes, and soft chaos weaving their way through. It’s a little messy. A little mystical. But I love how it holds both structure and wildness. Sometimes the process leads the piece— and that’s exactly how it’s meant to be. - Not Available -

"Unedited Alchemy" Mixed media on 12x12 wood panel I’ve been told this one needs editing. But I love it. It's "everything, everywhere, all at once" and everywhere I look, there's an element I love and don't want to remove. The swirls, the cracks, t

"Unedited Alchemy" Mixed media on 12x12 wood panel I’ve been told this one needs editing. But I love it. It's "everything, everywhere, all at once" and everywhere I look, there's an element I love and don't want to remove. The swirls, the cracks, the symbols that don’t quite explain themselves— it feels like my brain on canvas. This one holds story fragments. Pieces of memory. Layers that don’t compete—they coexist. Maybe it’s unfinished. Or maybe it’s exactly what it was meant to be: something I made just for me.

"The One Who Remembers" (working title) Acrylic on 11x16 canvas - In Progress - She stands at the threshold of time—neither maiden nor mother, but something more enduring. With silver strands like threads of moonlight and the Eye of Horus resting at

"The One Who Remembers" (working title) Acrylic on 11x16 canvas - In Progress - She stands at the threshold of time—neither maiden nor mother, but something more enduring. With silver strands like threads of moonlight and the Eye of Horus resting at her brow, she is the Crone-Priestess: guardian of the veil, weaver of unseen truths. Her gaze is steady, ancient, unblinking. She does not chase answers; she becomes them. Though unfinished, her presence already commands reverence. She is the firekeeper. The shadow-walker. The one who whispers to the bones of your becoming, “You already know.”

"Petals & Presence" Acrylic on 11x16 paper — In progress Inspired by a moment with my daughter I never wanted to forget.— just us, the sun, and the colors that made us pause. This painting isn’t about precision. It’s about presence. About rememberi

"Petals & Presence" Acrylic on 11x16 paper — In progress Inspired by a moment with my daughter I never wanted to forget.— just us, the sun, and the colors that made us pause. This painting isn’t about precision. It’s about presence. About remembering that peace lives in the wild, in the petals, in the noticing. I’m not sure if this one’s finished— but maybe that’s the point. Like a moment with someone you love— sometimes it’s enough just to be there.

"Overwhelm" Acrylic on Paper This piece helped me process a wave of anxiety and overstimulation. The movement is fast, layered, and tangled—each mark holding a thread of what I couldn’t quite put into words. It’s an abstract expression of what it f

"Overwhelm" Acrylic on Paper This piece helped me process a wave of anxiety and overstimulation. The movement is fast, layered, and tangled—each mark holding a thread of what I couldn’t quite put into words. It’s an abstract expression of what it feels like when everything is too much—and the quiet power of letting it spill onto the page instead of holding it in.

"The Garden Within" Acrylic on 12x12 canvas — In progress This one is still unfinished— but maybe that’s what makes it feel like a secret. A hidden garden behind ornate doors. Cascading wisteria. Light pouring through in soft invitation. I imagine

"The Garden Within" Acrylic on 12x12 canvas — In progress This one is still unfinished— but maybe that’s what makes it feel like a secret. A hidden garden behind ornate doors. Cascading wisteria. Light pouring through in soft invitation. I imagine this place when I need peace. When I want to believe that behind the next door, there’s beauty I haven’t even imagined yet. Some paintings aren’t about arrival. They’re about the invitation to step through.

Untitled Sadness (In Progress) Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Work in progress This piece isn’t finished— but it’s already done something sacred. I let my sadness take the first stroke. Let the grid give it form. Let the drips be what couldn’t be held i

Untitled Sadness (In Progress) Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Work in progress This piece isn’t finished— but it’s already done something sacred. I let my sadness take the first stroke. Let the grid give it form. Let the drips be what couldn’t be held in. This canvas became a container— not for beauty, not for perfection— but for the weight of what I didn’t want to carry alone that day. Sometimes, painting is a pause. Not a finale.

"When It Was Too Heavy to Hold" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Work in progress This piece holds my process of letting go. Not the neat version— but the real, messy, body-led version. I came to the canvas tight, clenched, holding too much. I let the pai

"When It Was Too Heavy to Hold" Acrylic on 11x16 canvas — Work in progress This piece holds my process of letting go. Not the neat version— but the real, messy, body-led version. I came to the canvas tight, clenched, holding too much. I let the paint carry what I couldn’t say out loud. The gold feels like breath. The teal—like all the things I didn’t know I was still gripping. This isn’t finished. But it held me while I loosened my grip. And that’s enough for now.

In Progress Acrylic on 11x16 paper — In Progress This piece is a playful mix of movement, emotion, and layered story. Still unfolding, it holds the energy of joy, weather, wonder, and surrender. Waterfall meets rainbow, clouds meet texture—each pass

In Progress Acrylic on 11x16 paper — In Progress This piece is a playful mix of movement, emotion, and layered story. Still unfolding, it holds the energy of joy, weather, wonder, and surrender. Waterfall meets rainbow, clouds meet texture—each pass of the brush is leading somewhere new.

"Bloom in Progress" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel - In Progress - This piece is all about movement, color, and curiosity. I'm a few layers in and letting texture, symbols, and playful marks guide the way. Still evolving—still listening.

"Bloom in Progress" Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel - In Progress - This piece is all about movement, color, and curiosity. I'm a few layers in and letting texture, symbols, and playful marks guide the way. Still evolving—still listening.

Abstract In Progress Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel — In Progress This abstract piece explores contrast, curve, and texture in warm, earthy tones. The lines feel both organic and intentional—like movement caught mid-thought. It’s evolving in layers, re

Abstract In Progress Acrylic on 12x12 wood panel — In Progress This abstract piece explores contrast, curve, and texture in warm, earthy tones. The lines feel both organic and intentional—like movement caught mid-thought. It’s evolving in layers, revealing something new each time I return to it.