from the artist’s desk
My artist desk is really two desks. An art desk full of paint marks, my favorite mug half full with cold tea because I forgot it was there, and nearly always something in some stage of drying - a clay mushroom, a painted door, fairy lights glued into a book.
The other desk, well, that’s my writer’s desk - two monitors, a keyboard that looks like an old typewriter, a Kenyan flag, and a picture of my grandmother at her typewriter taped to the monitor.
I started drawing and painting greeting cards to send to friends and family, because I felt we needed to find our way back to handmade and personal. From there, it was a meandering path that brought me here, to this place of intentionally creating small and whimsical pieces that allow us to share small joys.
Behind my desk, the shelves hold art supplies. In front of my desk, where I can see them, are some of my favorite books and stories. Close at hand are my favorite colored pens, a kneadable eraser, and small glass jars (perfect for holding water, mixing paints, and, in a pinch, they make great drying racks). Small gifts hold those I adore near - a heart paperweight from my hunky hubby, an embroidered gnome from my best friend, a Kenyan flag from our close friends. Often, I find ways to make my stories come to life — like carving out a fairy's home in a book bound for the landfill or buying a ceramic leopard that reminds me of the characters in a story that’s still only half written (placed by the photo that inspired the tale).
I tend to surround myself with beauty, stories, & trinkets.
