“Michaela”

How My Oma Inspired a Painting About Light, Love, and Human Connection

Michaela” is a painting named after my Oma, Michaela Jarvis, whose influence on my life reaches deeper than I can ever put into words.

This piece is part of my Star Collection, a body of work centered around illumination, expansion, and the energy we carry into the world. But “Michaela” isn’t just inspired by light — it is inspired by the woman who exudes.

The Message She Gives Me — Again and Again

Whenever I think of her, I remember to...

• Open up to others.

• Branch out.

• Extend your light.

• Share your energy.

• Connection is what matters.

She has never been the type to keep her world small. Her heart extends outward constantly — to family, to friends, to strangers — and I’ve always admired that. Watching her interact with the world has taught me that connection isn’t passive; it’s something we choose, again and again. It requires vulnerability, curiosity, and a willingness to be present.

This is the energy that shaped the creation of “Michaela.”

The Artistic Vision: A Star Traveling Through Space

From the moment I imagined the piece, I saw it as a star in motion though others artist work and a bit of my own — not static, not contained, but traveling freely through space, leaving trails of color and warmth behind it. That star symbolizes my Oma’s spirit: expanding, touching, radiating outward.

I wanted the movement in the painting to feel alive.Not linear. Not predictable.But expansive, swirling, and luminous — like energy finding new places to land.

As the colors blended across the canvas, I imagined the star filling the world around it, just as my Oma fills the lives of the people who know her. Each brushstroke felt like a connection: a reminder that even a small moment of openness can create a ripple much larger than we realize.

Color as Connection

The palette for “Michaela” is intentionally vibrant. Warm tones of Yellow, Orange, and deep layered hues expand outward like cosmic ribbons of light. The colors don’t stay in one place; they push into the edges of the canvas, symbolizing the way connection expands beyond us.

Art is energy, and energy is contagious. I wanted this piece to feel like it was reaching out — not just visually, but emotionally.When you stand in front of it, I want you to feel invited.Seen.Lit up.Like the painting is offering you a hand and asking you to step into its warmth.

What I Hope You Feel When You Look at “Michaela”

More than anything, I hope this piece gives you a moment of reflection — a sense of movement, expansion, and hope. I hope you feel the warmth of that star traveling through space, filling the canvas with color, just as we fill each other’s lives with meaning.

I hope you feel a reminder to call someone you love.To reach out.To reconnect.To show up.To share your light with someone who needs it.

Because that’s the heart of this piece.That’s the heart of my Oma.And that’s the heart of the Light Collection.

“Michaela” is more than a painting — it’s a message.One I hope continues traveling, just like that star, long after the brushstrokes have dried.