Delight. Hope. Inspire.

Name: Knollwood Art Studio
Address: US

Knollwood Art Studio is my vision for art in Dayton, Ohio. I want to create a space for people of all ages and abilities to make something meaningful to them. Right now, I'm gathering ideas, learning new skills, and writing curriculum. Keep checking back to see what I'm up to, or follow me on Instagram!

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I'll Meet You Where You Are is officially in prepress! Order has been placed and files sent to the printer ✅

Publishing the eBook has been trickier than anticipated, but that is in progress as well!

I will keep you posted as things move along ��😁

The Pigeon HAS to Go to School!

My baby's first Halloween costume is Mo Willems's beloved Pigeon 🐦

He approved the material beforehand, then once the jacket was made, it took him a few days to warm up to the idea of wearing it. In the end, I had to sneakily put it on him while he was distracted with a TV show. He only wore it for a minute before insisting on taking it off, but then he wanted to wear it to school!

Mo Willems's Pigeon helped this boy learn the art of conversation. We role play Pigeon, Duckling, and Bus Driver at home. We read or watch Pigeon every night before bed, regardless of whatever other bedtime stories might be read. So when I suggested to my boy that he could dress up as Pigeon, it was a definite yes. His first yes to dressing up!

Thank you @officiallyofficialmo 💙

And yes, that is a school bus backpack. It was our compromise with our bus-loving boy since riding the bus wasn't an option this year. It's the first bag I've ever seen that fits a full size folder inside and fits a preschooler. Busses are a love shared by my boy and the pigeon 🥰

I almost didn't ask. I never thought... I was honestly in disbelief when we raised $1300 for I'll Meet You Where You Are. Thanks to a last-minute anonymous donation, we've reached the $5000 goal to print I'll Meet You Where You Are in hardcover. It's a dream come true to have written, illustrated, and (soon) published a book. Thank you for believing in this project and for believing in me! 🫶

I should be doing homework right now, but...

First I'm taking a moment to appreciate each of the people who have supported the creation and first printing of I'll Meet You Where You Are.

I am SO grateful for each one of you! 🥰

If you've been thinking about contributing, there is still one more day! See the link in my bio for more information about the project and how you can get your very own signed copy of the book 📖🖋️

I've spent a lot of time and energy on I'll Meet You Where You Are over the past couple of months, but I've made time for other important projects too.

1. My kiddos' Halloween costume props
2. My first amigurumi doll, made for a friend
3. General Biology labs (because I went back to school this fall to show my kiddos that learning is for life!)
4. Community puzzles at my local library
5. A felt embellishment on a tote to show how much we love our weekday church program, Awana

It's been a struggle to find joy in this fall transition. I keep putting one foot in front of the other, hoping that joy will find me. In the meantime, I'm putting smiles on the faces of people I love. What can be better than that?

You matter. You really do. You might not have felt like it recently, but the world is better for having you in it 🫶

Grace is a much-needed hug while your hands are full, a listening ear when you are in crisis, a playdate invitation when your world is upside down. Grace expects nothing and gives everything. It meets you where you are. It isn't possible to receive or experience the wonder of grace without finding yourself in need. Neediness doesn't feel good; it often brings on feelings of shame and self-loathing. But it is only when we admit and surrender to our need that we are able to receive the love and grace of our Maker. Everyone experiences need at some point in their life. It's one of the many things that make us human. May we follow God's example and meet people where they are, not where we want or wish or think they should be 💛

There are still a few more days to contribute to the first printing of I'll Meet You Where You Are. We are 8 supporters strong, and I would love to partner with 25 by October 25. For details, see the link in my bio.

I honestly didn't think we'd get this far, and I am so, so grateful! We've raised $1275 to print I'll Meet You Where You Are 💚

There is still one more week before I send it to the printer, one more week for you to contribute to the project. Please check it out! I've added the link to my bio.

I took this photo to share when we reached the next milestone—surprise native white aster that has literally taken over our driveway, but is far too pretty to cut back. This variety of aster is actually included in the book, so it was especially exciting for me when it bloomed a couple of weeks ago!

I did a very scary thing today and pinned a flyer up at my local coffee shop. I've printed twice as many as I felt comfortable printing, and now I'm on the lookout for community boards.

It feels a bit surreal. I'll Meet You Where You Are is actually going to print this year!!!

I sort of took a leap of faith and decided to raise funds through chuffed.org instead of Kickstarter, and I've reached my 3rd milestone thanks to some incredibly generous people 💛

My book is done. Flipping through this last printout, I just know. It's the same kind of feeling as meeting my life partner. I just look at it and marvel.

I've gathered all the info and made all the decisions necessary for printing, but I'm waiting on God to reveal the funding for this book. Tomorrow is my last day of work at my day job, so funding it myself is no longer an option. I have faithfully completed the work that God called me to do this year, so I trust He will see it through to the end.

My older boys (8 and 6) are rejoicing with me. I didn't have to tell them how hard I worked on this book; they saw it and they told me I worked hard. They want to tell their own stories now, and they're ok with it taking 18 months or more of hard work. They trust me to guide them and I feel so honored to come alongside them in this new way.

It feels a little more honest to say that I am an author now. And this is only the first of many, many stories.

Autism Out Loud is the first book I've read cover to cover in a long while, and the first one I've read in less than 3 weeks in years.

It is one that I'm too sad to return to the library because it feels like a friend. The stories and feelings and perspectives these women share are an extravagant gift. They celebrate all that is lovely, advocate for all that is broken, and grieve for all that will never be. What a gentle and honest introduction to autism. This is what pediatric developmental specialists should hand parents instead of Autism Speaks pamphlets.

When my youngest was diagnosed with autism almost 2 years ago at just 20 months old, he was considered level 3, and the developmental specialist reassured me that he would be ok, that many kids progress from level 3 to level 1 as they grow up. I had no idea what any of that meant. All I knew is that my boy didn't talk or point or bring me books to read or toys to play with and that he was angry all the time and hit himself because he couldn't communicate what he wanted.

The gap between him and his peers has only widened with time. He's not catching up, even with dozens of speech and OT therapy sessions. I'd say he's maybe progressed from level 3 to level 2 now because we've had some language breakthroughs and he is able to communicate that he's hungry or thirsty, that he'd like his diaper changed, that he wants to take a nap or go home. He is verbalizing boundaries and expectations, maybe even better than his peers, because that's where we've focused his education. He still has meltdowns when what he wants isn't understood or possible (like the time he asked to hold a huge watermelon in his lap in the grocery store cart because it was his new best friend). But he's also incredibly clever and unbelievably creative. He rarely uses things as they were intended to be used, and it gives me such joy to see the world through his eyes!

@findingcoopersvoice @talesofaneducateddebutante Thank you so much for inviting me to laugh and cry with you, to start processing my own autism story, and to feel a sense of belonging for the first time in a long time.

"Weren't you writing a book?"

Yes! I took a pause to work on some other projects and to find my happy place again, and now I'm ready to return to finalizing the illustrations for my book.

To be completely transparent, I had pretty much finished my illustrations weeks ago, but I wanted to take them from good-but-obviously-self-published to something you might actually find at a library. I felt called by God to pour everything I have into this book, to allow Him to meet me where I am and encourage the sad and shriveled parts.

So I'm taking a deep breath and allowing creativity to flow uninhibited. It's an effort that probably has little ROI from a business perspective, but whoever this book may find its way to is worth it.

🩷

#firsttimeauthor #illustration #illmeetyouwhereyouare

Now that I'll Meet You Where You Are is well underway—just need to finalize the illustrations and go to print—I'm scratching my writing itch with a new book (or three because I write the same way I read 😅).

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

The Gospel Is for Everyone is a discipleship primer of sorts. I am not a gifted evangelist, but I want and need to have conversations about the Gospel with my children. As a mom, it's my job to give them a solid foundation of knowledge and faith that they can build on for the rest of their lives—aka discipleship. Starting and maintaining conversations is really difficult for me, but reading a book together is already a part of our daily routine.

This primer takes you on a slow walk through all aspects of the Gospel. It's structured as a conversation guide that starts with a verse and proceeds with questions that help you form connections to what the verse says. My commentary is very light and is meant to assist you in explaining your own understanding of the Gospel.

I'm so excited to work on this project with my boys!

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Working on draft #3 now. A small handful of people have gotten to see my pre-draft and drafts #1 and #2. I just can't keep these words to myself anymore and the responses have fueled my motivation to press on.

#illustration #picturebook #firsttimeauthor #gettingcloser #dailymanna #illmeetyouwhereyouare

I spent 5 glorious days working around the clock on my book and am soooo close to finishing my first draft!

As I contemplated how I would be able to finish it with my full-time jobs (software developer and mom), I cried out to God that it would take me a year to publish this book if I only had a few hours each week to continue working on it. His response? An hour is plenty of time. Just trust me.

So I did. This morning I spent an hour (and a half) starting and finishing the first draft of my cover. It's even lovelier than I imagined it would be. 💕

I put this sticker created by @sincerelybeloved on my computer to remind me of something important, but now it's taken a new depth. For my book, my daily manna is the time that God provides me to complete the book He gave me. Given the choice, I would do nothing else but work on it until I could hold it in my hands and put it in yours. But God's timing is so much better than mine and His plans continue to work out for my good, so I am going to delight in what He provides and choose His will over mine.

#zephaniah317 #illmeetyouwhereyouare #dailymanna #delight #yourwillbedone

I ended yesterday with 328 flowers (60% of the total in my design) and 95 foliage elements—all scanned in! I also started the process of converting the images to vector graphics with @_adobeillustrator_ and cleaning them up—removing whitespace, redrawing lines lost in digitization, erasing bits I don't like.

I'm up before the sun and the kids to work towards my massive goal for the day: cleaning up over 400 little images. And because it's dark and cold outside, I'm hiding in the playroom with James' @squishmallows frog until breakfast 🐸

#picturebook #inprogress #illustration #adobeillustrator #vectorgraphics #squishmallows #burningthecandleatbothends #eyeontheprize

✅ Wetlands
✅ Coffee
✅ Hand drawn illustrations

The two stacks of pages in the last photo represent 19 pages of hand drawn illustrations I will use in my book.

I have 545 individual flowers of 10 different varieties in my design and I've drawn 248 of those 10 varieties so far. I plan to reuse some on multiple pages, but I'll probably draw another 50 or so once my arm recovers.

In the meantime, I'm going to start scanning 😁

Started the day at @gcparkstrails Koogler wetlands. It's easy to forget you're in the middle of Beavercreek when sitting here 💚

#ohiowetlands #wetlands #welcomebackbirds #birdsong

My responsibilities at my day job drastically increased in January, so I haven't had the mental energy for much in my "downtime." (Ok, that and my three boys do not slow their activities in the Ohio winter months when the weather does not allow as much outdoor play, so it's all we can do to keep everyone fed and in clean clothes. 😆)

So to mark the end of the quarter and the beginning of spring, I took a few days off work to finish a picture book that I started a little over a year ago. The words have been on my heart for so long; I just didn't know the best way to share them. A few weeks ago, God gave me a vision for this book, so I am committed to finishing it.

To that end, I booked a truly tiny @postcardcabins in Hocking Hills for one day for my first writing retreat. I trusted God to meet me there and He did not disappoint! I have my entire book designed now and all I have to do is carry out the work.

Today, I'm going to find a quiet corner of the library to draw lots and lots and lots of flowers 🌼

P.S. Do I enjoy walks in the forest because they smell like the library, or do I enjoy sitting in the library because it smells like the forest? Either way if heaven looks, sounds, and smells anything like Ohio wetlands, I will not be disappointed!

#writingretreat #wetlands #hockinghills #illustration #illmeetyouwhereyouare #library #ohioisbeautiful #bethoumyvision

I'm playing with @_pictoblox_ today. Did you know you could do block programming with an @arduino.cc Uno?

#artstudio #maker #makerspace #tryingnewthings #pictoblox #arduino #arduinouno #blockprogramming #blinkinglight #helloworld

I took a break from microcontrollers to prototype something that is pure delight 🤩

#prototype #tryingnewthings #artstudio #makersgonnamake #makerspace #interdisciplinary #clock #kaleidoscope #upcycling

It was really hard to concentrate on what I was saying with those lights blinking on an off 😆

I'm just a few lines of code and one little board away from finishing my first prototype of this project! I'll give you a little hint on what the goal is and tell you that the next step is to make this program smart about how many lights to turn on using some data from the National Weather Service.

#arduino #prototype #artstudio #makerspace #interdisciplinary #makersgonnamake #tryingnewthings

It's been a little while since I've checked in, so I thought I should post a quick update. I've been reconsidering my goals for Knollwood Art Studio going forward and decided to expand them to 1) be more inclusive of my professional skills and 2) better support the creative interests in my community.

This is a little peek at what I've been playing with lately. The thought of micro-anything has seemed really difficult and out of reach to me. I have a BS in computer science, but that basically translates to software engineering and I've specialized in Android development for most of my career. All that to say that I've never needed to know what's inside the box, only that I can turn it on and give it instructions.

I wish I could say that I finally found the courage to just go for it and learn electronics, but I actually sort of reluctantly stumbled into it when my almost-8-year-old asked me if I could buy him a kit that would let him make redstone circuits in real life. I started googling who knows what, came across paper circuits, mentioned my little project to my husband (who has been trying to get me interested in electronics for like ever), and ended up reading a Make magazine on Arduino and implementing the microcontroller version of "Hello World."

I don't know why I was so intimidated by electronics for so long! Now I'm bursting with fresh ideas and I'm so excited to see if any of them pan out. I'll keep you all posted on my progress since this very much has to do with my evolving vision for Knollwood Art Studio 💙

#arduino #helloworld #microcontroller #artstudio #makerspace #interdisciplinary #circuits #tryingnewthings #makersgonnamake

Sharing my current work in progress because it's been a while since I've felt like painting...

The question that has been circling in my head for the past month is: what makes me feel safe? I asked my boys the same question and this picture started taking shape.

Things that make us feel safe:
- Hands that catch you when you fall
- Mama
- Spinning
- Hugs
- Warm drinks
- Chocolate
- Love
- Gardening
- Bubbles
- Being free to make messes
- Being told that everything will be ok

What are some things that make you feel safe?

The need that inspired the painting 🥰 "Listen" makes the perfect journal cover!

"I Like Myself." 16x20". Acrylic on canvas.

Does it belong in a museum? No.
Does it make me happy? Yes! 🩷

What do I like? What do I do for fun? Those questions have been growing harder and harder to answer over the past 15+ years.

Creating things that bring me satisfaction and pleasure, even if they aren't everyone's cup of tea, even if they aren't "productive," is something I'm trying to relearn how to do. And I'm slowly starting to like myself again.

"Listen." 12x16. Acrylic on canvas.

My boys have been a huge part of helping me learn to listen well - to myself, to others, to the Holy Spirit - and they chose the color palette and painted about 2/3 of this painting. I just filled in the empty spaces with the paint remaining on their palettes (aka paper plates) and brushes.

Listening is such a challenge with so many things competing for our attention. Learning to listen well is learning to be present in each moment, to be absorbed in the words spoken to us, to be mindful of what our bodies are telling us, to breathe deeply and allow the Spirit to fill us with the life-giving truths of the Father. Listening is also learning to discern which voices we can trust, especially those inside our heads. Listening well is necessary to love ourselves and others the way that God has commanded us to.

I recently had the pleasure of crocheting a sweater for one of my boys' girl friends (not pictured because I forgot) and I had trouble stopping at one haha. I was encouraged by the 3-pack of skorts (with pockets!) from Amazon being slightly mismatched; the sweater I made only matched 2 of the skirts. So this Barbie-style outfit was the result! My 5-year-old self would have refused to wear anything else for a week 😁

Seeing these little blue flowers on my way to and from places this week has brought me so much joy! I wish I could pick them and carry them with me, but then they wouldn't be there to greet me when I walk by.

What spring ephemerals are greeting you each day? 💙💜

#springhassprung #springephemeral #squill #blueflowers

💚❤️ Merry Christmas ❤️💚

May you experience the boundless joy and interminable hope found only in Jesus!!

...

My toddler was diagnosed as autistic with language impairment this fall and it's been both heartbreaking to know of the challenges that lie ahead of him in life and beautiful to see the world through his eyes.

This is his first painting and it brought me so much joy to see him so eager to express himself and experience all the sensations available to him through this project!

I am in awe of how God has used this child to change my definition of purpose, to redefine my ideas of success.

I am so hopeful for my toddler's future and the futures of his older brothers because God is the one preparing good things for them to do and He is not the slightest bit put off by impairments or disabilities. ❤️💚

#asd #artstudio #christmas2023

Check out some new listings in my Etsy shop and take advantage of a special promo now thru Wednesday 10/11! Details and link in my stories. 🌞

I've been having trouble giving myself room to create lately, so I decided to ease back in with a simple little project, inspired by the study of Genesis I just started with an amazing group of women this month.

Have you ever wished God would create light in the dark place you find yourself? Or looked for a sign that He had not abandoned you? I have 🙋‍♀️

I wish I could say that I've learned on God to get me through the hardest seasons of my life, but I really haven't. Still He's been faithful and stayed with me through it all. He's given me light and breath and He's reminded me over and over that He's never giving up on me - in the whispers of His Word, in the timely encouragement of a friend, in the perspective provided in hindsight, in the rising and setting of the sun, and in the rainbow after the storm.

The same God who spoke the world into existence still speaks to those who are listening.

#artist #acrylic #acrylicpainting #bookmark #bookmarks #light #thenGodsaid #rainbow #promisekeeper #lightinthedarkness

@youngsdairy for #woolgathering2023 today 😁

I painted this pouch to remind myself not to give up...

Living is HARD, but God created me to be resilient and in Christ I have the strength to accept the challenges I face daily and find ways to overcome them.

This pouch goes with me everywhere. I use it to hold all the things that enable me to go out without fear of getting stuck somewhere because of fatigue or dehydration. And every time I take it out, I'm encouraged - empowered by Paul's words, reminded of God's grace.

I CAN do hard things and so can you!

#icandohardthings #daisies #dysautonomia #pots #overcomer #dontgiveup

It can feel hard to breathe when the house is in complete chaos. Not to mention hard to work around all the stuff that's piled up on every useful space!

I started bringing some order (and sanity) back to our shared spaces earlier in the week, but I've put that on hold for today because I need a rest.

The boys' rooms have been long neglected. When I started tidying them earlier this week, I realized the biggest problem (for them and for us) is Legos scattered all over their floors. Last week my oldest asked for my help sorting his Legos. He said he didn't want to put them away until they were sorted back into sets. So here I am helping order his chaos while he's away at school to give my body a much needed rest.

Maybe while I'm working on this I'll come up with a creative solution for keeping them sorted 😆 Any ideas??

#takingabreak #legos #legosorting

🔍 Spot the difference: oatmeal edition 🥣

My picky 4-year-old won't touch the 1st bowl of oatmeal, but the 2nd bowl he'll lick clean. There's only ONE difference between the two bowls of plain oatmeal with a touch of honey. Can you spot it? 🤣

#pickyeater #rainbow #sprinkles #oatmeal #sprinklesmakeeverythingbetter #breakfast

Oops! Missed a spot 😅

Guess I'll need to get back into the habit of always checking my work.

#artist #commission #acrylicpainting #petportrait #beagle #oops #onemorething

My first pet portrait is complete! 🐕🍉

Now to let it dry for the next few days before finishing it off with varnish and sending it on to its new home 😊

#artist #commission #acrylicpainting #petportrait #beagle #watermelon #summervibes #smallbusiness

Today, I added a few more details to the pet portrait and started painting a farm scene on these little slippers for my youngest 😊

I used up the rest of the extra portrait paint decorating some canvas zipper pouches. Now my little palettes are available for mixing browns, so I can finish up the portrait this weekend 🤎🖤🐕

#artist #acrylicpainting #petportrait #watermelon #beagle

The beautiful thing about a painting is that you can create whatever scene your imagination provides around your subject.

I've been thinking about the colors and patterns I wanted to incorporate into this portrait all week - watermelon, wavy lines, warm reds, oranges and blues.

Today I finally had a chance to start painting and it's even better than I'd imagined it 😍🍉🐕

Now what should I do with all the extra paint I mixed? 🤔

#artist #acrylicpainting #petportrait #watermelon #beagle

Why are there so many paintings of rainbows? 🎵

1. My boys love rainbows.
2. My boys LOVE rainbows!
3. Do I need to say it again?

My rainbow paintings provoke conversations with my boys - about the science of rainbows, their favorite colors, what foods are blue vs indigo. I love this phase we're in so much!

#rainbow #roygbiv #boysloverainbowstoo #artist #acrylicpainting #fabricpainting #homemadefabricpaint #totebag #handpainted #handpaintedbag

New products have arrived!!! 🌈🌞

It's morning somewhere, right? 😅 Reviewing and putting the finishing touches on 12 new listings took a lot longer than I thought.

Please check out my shop at the link in my bio and please, please like and share this reel! Thank you so much for your support ❤️

I will be working on adding fall theme products in a couple of weeks, just in time for back to school 🍁🎃📚📝 Follow me to get sneak peeks at what's coming.

When the lighting in your house isn't the greatest...

and you don't want to spend money on extra equipment...

AND your plan to scan stuff at the library is a bust...

you wait for the perfect just slightly overcast day to retake photos of your artwork. ⛅

New products are hitting my shop TOMORROW morning. I can't wait to show you 😁

#artist #mobilephotography #photographyonabudget #frugal #makingdo #newreleases #newreleasetuesday #rainbow #acrylicpainting

Started mixing colors for my first commission - a pet portrait for my best friend @alejandrajones2! I'm so excited 😁😁😁

#artist #acrylicpainting #petportrait #first #commission

I impulse bought a little pot from Michael's the other day because I needed a break from painting on canvas. These colors are so cheery 😁

I'd love to paint you one too! This item is going to be among the new releases coming on Tuesday ✨

#artist #terracotta #terracottapots #acrylicpainting #succulents #plantsmakepeoplehappy #youmakemesmile #newrelease

I'm getting things photographed and figuring out pricing. New products will be hitting my shop in the next couple of weeks! 🌼

#smallbusiness #artist #totebag #cotton #reuse #reusable

I've been wanting to paint fabric and I'm not a huge fan of spending money, so today I tried homemade fabric paint.

I started by mixing my own fabric medium based on a recipe I found on Google (because that's *never* gone horribly wrong 😆). Then I mixed a small amount of homemade medium with my acrylic paints.

I tested it out on a random canvas bag I've been using for library books.

I think it actually worked ok. The result is kind of similar to a screen print feeling/stiffness. It works for me and I'm not curious enough to spend $$ on the real stuff haha.

My kids are HUGE fans of rainbows, so to encourage diverse eating we've been counting the colors on our plates.

Today I'm in a funk, so I've only managed 3 colors for breakfast - including a delicious GF/vegan Maine blueberry Danish from @purelysweetbakery 💙💜

How many colors did you eat for breakfast?

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