Some paintings begin with an idea.
Others begin with the heart.
This one began with grief.
In May, my father passed away. It was one of the hardest seasons of my life. I stepped away from work for a while—away from emails, commissions, social media, and the daily rhythm of creating for others. I needed time to simply be with my family and process the loss.
When I finally felt ready to pick up a paintbrush again, I realized I didn’t want to begin with a commission.
I needed to paint something for myself.
A Family Legacy in the Sky
My dad was a professional pilot, and flying wasn’t just his career—it was one of the great joys of his life. He continued flying professionally until he was 74 years old.
His love of aviation began much earlier.
My grandfather owned a small airplane, and my dad’s very first flight was in that plane. It became part of our family’s story, connecting generations through a shared love of flying.
After my dad passed away, I inherited something incredibly special: the original wooden propeller from that airplane.
As I held it, I couldn’t help but think about everyone whose hands had touched it before mine.
My grandfather.
My great-uncle.
My aunt.
My dad.
They had all flown behind that very propeller.
It wasn’t simply a piece of wood.
It was part of our family’s history.
Painting a Memory
I decided to paint the airplane as a mural in our home.
Brushstroke by brushstroke, the image came together—not as a commission with deadlines or expectations, but as a way to remember. It became a quiet conversation with memories, gratitude, and love.
When the mural was finished, my husband mounted the original propeller in front of it.
Seeing the two together filled my heart.
The painting and the propeller tell a story that words alone never could.
Looking Forward While Remembering
Perhaps my favorite part of all is where this mural now lives.
Beneath it sits a little train table, waiting for our grandson, who will arrive in August.
There’s something beautiful about that.
One generation remembered while another is just beginning.
I hope that one day he’ll ask about the airplane overhead. I’ll get to tell him about his great-grandfather—the pilot who loved to fly, the family who shared that passion, and the wooden propeller that traveled through generations before finding its home on our wall.
More Than Paint
As artists, we often create for other people. I love painting commissions that celebrate milestones, preserve memories, and become treasured gifts.
But every once in a while, we need to create something that heals us.
Something that reminds us where we’ve come from.
Something that quietly tells our own story.
This mural became that painting for me.
It makes me smile every time I walk by.
And I think my dad would smile too.
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