About Me

I suppose my love for art and being creative began when I was young, crafting Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards in school, trying to draw title pages for social studies class, and being part of a small theatre class. Moving forward to high school, where I kept up with theatre and learned to play the flute, was my creative side at its best.  However, walking past the art and drafting rooms was daunting. The work that was coming out of there by my fellow students was incredible, and I never even entertained the idea of choosing either of those subjects as an elective, never believing I could create anything worthy of a grade.

As an adult, I never considered crafting on weekends with girlfriends more than a fun experience. I worked full-time in business development and marketing, giving me some free space to let my creativity flow and be recognized.

It wasn’t until the lockdown we all went through that gave me time, and courage to explore my artistic side.

As many of us did, we tried new things and new hobbies. My husband and I began cooking together and this was so much fun, from choosing the meals and sharing the prep and the delicious food.  But I never realized how much I loved to paint until this time at home to focus and explore.

I began ordering acrylic paints, brushes, and canvas, and buying a decent-sized tabletop easel on Marketplace from an artist in the area.  Talking to this artist gave me confidence, that even I could create something decent on canvas.

I bought a few art books from the local thrift shop for inspiration. I had set up a table in our living room and later in our small room (office) in our condominium. Watching YouTube videos was very helpful, especially the tutorials for beginners. Armed with everything I needed; this was when my new artistic adventure began.

My art space has changed as we’ve moved around in the last few years. We have been living in tiny homes for over 10 yrs, and with that comes challenges and allows me to be creative with space with what goes where, etc. From sailboats, cruisers, condos, and now an RV, I have always amazed myself with how to make space for my art to flow. I used to think I needed a dedicated art studio (and maybe one day I will have) but having a creative mind and even your kitchen table or picnic bench outside, can be all you need to begin.

The name for my shop comes from my cat Lilly and our past dog Charley.  Animals bring so much life and healing to my life, and it’s their curiosity that mimics mine, as I wonder what I will paint on any given day. So it seemed fitting for me to name my art shop after these furry ones. Lilly loves to visit me, especially my paint brushes in their pots, every time I am at the easel. 

Art has become more than a vessel to be creative, it brings me to a place of calm, in uncertain times in my life.  More recently, art journalling has become my love. Each day I write or paint on a page in one of my journals (I have many) giving me space to speak to me, to the universe, and to reflect when I re-read my entries. 

Currently, I am working on building my art shop online, soon offering smaller printed sizes of original artwork, as some buyers may prefer a 5 x 7 postcard size for display in their home, etc. So stay tuned as I work on this and add to the shop.

I have many other paintings, bookmarks, and handmade items to show in the shop, one day I'll post.

I hope you enjoy my work and thank you for stopping by. If you know someone who would enjoy seeing my artwork, please share my shop or my IG @lillyncharley with them.