Years ago, I was ignoring my own deep desire for creative self-expression, but supporting my husband and friends in their creative journeys. After hearing one friend encourage another to read "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" (by Julia Cameron), I suddenly realized I wanted to read it, too. One of the most powerful exercises in the book was the idea of taking yourself on "an artist's date," which can bring joy and help fill your "well" of creative images and ideas. My dates included a trip to the library where I found myself pouring over a book called "Crown Jewels: The Official Illustrated History" (by Anna Keay). I started making doodles of such crowns, with geometrical shapes for the gorgeous gems and patterns of symmetrical lines for the filigree. This quickly shifted into radial symmetry, and I found myself creating mandalas. I've now been creating mandalas for over ten years. I have given many as gifts or donations to help comfort people who are in grief, to pray for healing, for beauty, or as a donation to a charitable cause. Along the way, I discovered my designs were nicely suited to go on umbrellas, so I started selling them as a print-on-demand item. And, since the start of 2021, I have been having a delicious time painting on silk. I hope you enjoy looking at my art. I love doing custom pieces, so let me know if you want one!