Success stories

The birth of Grrace

When I first began painting in grade school, I was told that I was a terrible artist.
I was perceived by art teachers as having an inability to produce unique representations nor original thoughts.

Find Light through the clouds

At the age of 19, I was diagnosed with aphantasia, a condition that inhibits one’s ability to mentally ‘see’ images. It you had asked me to picture an apple, all I would see was blackness. I was devasted. It suddenly felt as though this veil of ignorance was lifted, and yet the possibility of achieving it would be forever out of reach. This ability to visualize creativity.

Although, in the meantime I was busy studying international relations and humanitarian law in university. I let go of the possibility and focused back on what was important – understanding the world that we live and operate in.

Then, just a year after this saddening revelation about my so-called mental blindness, my mind became sought after. In March of 2020, the world shut down. When would borders reopen? When will life go ‘back to normal’? What will be the resolution?

Now I didn’t have all the answers, but I would see life through patterns. Covid-19 was an opportunity to buy time for some. All, I could do about it was adapt to the ‘new normal’ and try to stay sane amidst the panic in Ottawa, Canada – where I was living for school.

Thus, I began to paint once again, but this time solely for myself as a mental release. I would paint images of the bedroom that for over a year I conducted my life out of, paint images of my small backyard and home that I shared with a few close friends.

Reconnect with nature

By February of 2021, I decided to travel to Central America where I had personal connections. I painted much more frequently. Each time I worked on a piece, I felt my mind relax and consequently began to see the world around me not in mental images, but colours. The grass was no longer just green, but deep viridian green bursting with light. The fence was not just a post, but an opulent shade of camel brown.
Even more, I began to notice that the colours I used in my art would have a deep resounding, physical and emotional effect on me. When I paired ivory black with amaranth red, frustration and anger would build inside causing me to lash out at those around. However when I would use cadet blue paired with a soft pistachio green, my mind became tranquil.

Take action

With the supportive push from my younger sister, it was there that I sold my first art collection in the summer of 2021. The money received helped to fund my upcoming trip. Creating that collection and feeling the impact of colour also threw me into a curious journey of learning in depth the science behind colour psychology. During my trip, I created custom paintings for friends and colleagues, even producing a mural in Nicaragua dedicated to the hardworking women of the country.

Upon returning to Canada months later, my official art career began with an inaugural solo show in April, 2022 in my hometown of Calgary.

Breathe and Shine to inspire the others

Now, I create paintings with the core goal of spreading mindfulness. While words and images can get lost in translation, colours transcend cultures. When I create an abstract painting, 10 different people will see 10 different images. However those images will be influenced by the psychology of the colours embedded in the work. When I create paintings that make people feel joy, at ease and even loved, they will spread the positivity to those they meet throughout the day.

My aim is to intentionally curate colours to harmonize the intention of a space.

I want to share my knowledge of colour psychology with the world to revolutionize contemporary art through mindfulness.