My Story
The Ego says, “Once everything falls into place, then I’ll find peace.”
The Spirit says, “Find your peace, then everything will fall into place.”
Grace Leigh Ryser
I am a portrait artist based in Salt Lake City. In 2015 I graduated with a BFA in Fine Art, Drawing and Painting from Utah State University. I work mainly with acrylic paint and markers but I occasionally work with colored pencils or oil paint. When I travel, I work with watercolors and pen, and the environment around me.
I paint because I believe in the healing power of creativity. At the end of the day, after hours of solitude in my studio, I feel more in tune with my eternal-self. I feel more connected to God. I feel whole. After all, creativity is a spiritual practice.
I am a portrait artist because I enjoy taking life I know exists, usually working with those I know personally, and placing it on canvas. This process makes me feel more connected to my work and gives my art life it wouldn't have otherwise. It allows me to create more transparent work and illustrate more authentic experiences.
I've spent the last few years in emotional, spiritual, and overall self- exploration and have found an enormous amount of peace. I want to help others find the same. So I turn to my love for art and creativity to help share messages of hope, healing, and love. You can find a few of these "self-healing" messages and artwork in Healing Work.
I am looking into a Masters in Transpersonal Counseling or Art Therapy. A degree I think will allow me to help others more directly with what I love to do. But in the mean time, I will continue to share my insights and my artwork on my blog and more frequently on Instagram. If you ever have any questions or just want to talk, contact me! I would be thrilled to hear from you!
"I looked for God and I found only myself; I looked for myself and I found only God."
-Gialal al-Din Rumi
Artists are Healers
"If we learn to think of receiving God's good as being an act of worship--cooperating with God's plan to manifest goodness in our lives--we can begin to let go of having to sabotage ourselves."
-Julia Cameron
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I want to change myself. ”
