When I was about 5, I dressed up as Glinda The Good Witch of the North for Halloween. Not that anyone realized who I was since I was wearing some sequined tap dance costume (a hand-me-down from my older sister, Jen) over top a pink sweatshirt and long pants (because Moms, AM I RIGHT?!). At that time of life, I was OBSESSED with “The Widard of Od”, (I wasn’t great with pronouncing Z’s at the time), and watched it every single day. I would have given anything and everything to hang out with Glinda. Her big ol’ dress with those poofy sleeves, that giant crown, her WAND? Forget about it. I loved her. I still wish I could use a giant floating bubble as a mode of transportation.

Well, fast forward about 30 years and I’m sitting in my front room in Oregon, actively watching Jen get bit by the hand-lettering bug as I supplied her with a variety of tools and resources to practice with. A few weeks later, I get a text from Jen and her daughter asking if I wanted to participate in weekly lettering prompts they give each other. Like the dirty enabler I am, I OBVIOUSLY say ‘yes’ and each week we would take turns choosing the phrase that we would all draw and share with each other. One of the early weeks, Jen chose “There’s No Place Like Home”. I probably made fun of her for this cliche prompt without knowing that it would completely turn my artistic style and business plan around.

My initial sketches were NOT a portrait but rather a pair of ruby slippers in the foreground of a yellow brick road leading to Oz. Have you ever noticed how phallic Oz looks? Well, I decided against it because drawing a building that is basically made of a bunch of green penises isn’t for me. I tried just doing the lettering, but that was boring. Then I put my thinking cap on (had a few glasses of wine) when this idea to attempt a portrait cropped up and I didn’t have anything to lose so why not?

In case you haven’t pieced it together, this was my very first chalk portrait. As it came together, I was shocked that it looked they way I saw it in my head. That NEVER happens. I sent a progress photo to Jen and she was like “WTF I hate you” and I guess I decided I’d chase that feeling.

Today, this portrait is near and dear to my heart because it taught me that I’m capable of things I didn’t realize. As I worked more at portraits to see if this was a one-time, beginner’s luck fluke, I found that it wasn’t. I can actually draw these pretty well, and I genuinely love doing it. This lettering prompt between me, my sister, and my niece caused me to pivot my business in a pretty meaningful way and introduced me to a skill within myself that I didn’t realize existed.

Sufficed to say, this piece is one of my favorites.