Finding ways to connect people through art...
After spending years in school learning about international relations, conflict management, and the French language, it never occurred to me that I could actually be an artist. While I took art and photography classes in high school and have been drawing, painting, and taking photos since I was a child, being an artist and photographer never felt like a realistic possibility for me.
In 2016 though, that changed. After going through a tough time in life, I decided to reconnect with my passions for art and photography. I took a watercolor class at Spruill Arts Center in Roswell, Georgia, and I was immediately hooked! Around that time, I also started photographing concerts and taking family portraits. After receiving positive feedback from friends and family who encouraged me to go for it, it suddenly seemed within the realm of possibility that, yes! I *am* an artist!
While I still pay the bills with a day job working for a nonprofit and using the skills that I learned in school, I am so grateful that I also have the time and resources to paint, draw, and take pictures that people connect with and love.
Finding Manders is all about connection, connection with each other, with art, and with the world around us. Most of my paintings are of mountains or other nature scenes because that is where I find the most connection. I feel most like myself and most at home in the great outdoors. My art is also a mix of realistic images and creative fun, and I often combine watercolor and ink.
Thank you so much for visiting my shop!