August 2026 Studio Update

hello again!

Since January, I have taken a very much needed long break from being online. It has given me mental space that I needed to come up with new ideas, and the freedom to explore new creative ventures. Honestly, I feel the best creatively that I have in a long time. And now I’m back!

That space to explore my creativity these past few months has brought me to finally getting the courage to paint my biggest ever painting (2x3 feet) and it was a BLAST. It is the first of hopefully many to come! It was hanging in my dining room for the past few weeks, but is now being sold at Artesano Boutique in Fort Walton Beach.

Inspired by the magnificent magnolia tree - particularly, the one on my late Grandpa’s land in Southeastern Oklahoma. One of my favorite childhood memories from visits to my grandparents’ house was climbing their giant magnolia tree. None of the lower branches had been cut, so when you “walked inside”, it felt like you were walking into a secret room. I’d climb up (way too high) and just hang out on a branch for as long as I wanted.

I have continued to sell through Artesano this past year and they have been a real joy to work with. If you’re ever in the Northwest Florida area, I highly suggest stopping by the gallery to check out all of the other amazing artists’ work they have. 

I will be sending out another email in the upcoming days/weeks with some new work I will be releasing, which is very near and dear to my heart (see a sneak peek below). 

We are in yet another stressful deployment season, and despite (due to?) the solo parenting, I am finding myself painting and being creative in other areas of my life more and more these days (probably out of necessity!).

I hope everyone has a wonderful and beautiful transition into the fall!

Love, Layne

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”

-W.B. Yeats