There would be no Land of Ardithian without the creative spaces that help give rise to the characters, the ideas, the objects of delight, and the art and words. I began writing years ago when I was an Elementary school teacher and then became a National Writing Fellow, and it didn’t require a lot of space to write, just big blocks of time and dreams. The art though…it began as part of my way of healing my body and spirit, and quickly became the way I learned to move through the world. Tapped into wonder, imagination, and seeking the extraordinary out of the ordinary, those concepts seeped in

These images show you the birthplaces of The Land of Ardithian. I first began painting from my bed, from our kitchen, from my car, and under the trees. When my body healed enough and I made the decision to embrace the working artist life, I knew I needed a studio. There have been several changes and iterations, but every space has laid the foundation for the Land of Ardithian characters and concepts to develop, grow, and evolve from idea to painting to words.