Almost two months ago we moved our family from the East Coast to the West Coast. Tyler accepted an opportunity in California that would accelerate his career and we made the bold decision to jump of the cliff. (How do you know if your wings work if you don’t jump out of the tree, right?)
Before we left, my friend and brilliant artist, Hannah Crosby, offered to make me a custom painting that would grace our new space in California, as a gift. I was beyond ecstatic and honored as I admire her and her work so much. Hannah is an abstract style painter and I have always been drawn to her pieces. It’s hard to explain art and why it moves one person and not another, but Hannah’s work has always been awe-inspiring to me. She describes herself as a creator of “custom fine art for families”.
I trust her creative process so much that I had a different idea for our collaboration. Instead of sending photo inspiration, a color palette, or telling her exactly what I wanted, I asked if I could just give her seven words that described the season of life we were in and see how it translated into her art. Here are the words I gave her:
Grow – Calm – Bright – Life – Optimism – Persist – Brave
These words may seem random, uncategorized, or scattered. However, they were so heavily descriptive of our new adventure, our bond as a family, and our hope for the future. I knew Hannah would be inspired to create something that would speak to me through her talent and I was not wrong. When she sent me a photo, it was perfect.
Maybe it’s totally personal and no one else can see what I see in this painting. Maybe you look at it and see a thunderstorm or a nebula in space. Maybe you read totally different words than mine when you look at it. But, for me, it was exactly what I felt. Needless to say, it was the first thing to go up in our new home in California and it feels like more than art. It feels like a symbol of our journey- past, present, and future. Hannah’s work in this piece of art will always mean so much more to me than a piece of home decor.
My particular canvas is 36×36. If you love my piece, it is now available to be ordered as a print through her shop.
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