Let me introduce
myself . . .
In my heart (and in my dreams),
I am dancing energy of universal rhythm, lover of life, joyous free spirit, world
traveler, nature lover, mystic and artist.
By trade, I’m a professional certified coach with a focus on personal
and professional development. My mission
is to creatively inspire and empower others to find their unique genius and go
after their dreams.
As a child, I always
knew that I wanted to be an artist when I grew up . . .
It’s funny how much clearer we can be as
children before everything else gets added on to us through the years. In school, art was always my favorite subject. I was lucky to grow up in a relatively small
town on the Oregon Coast, surrounded by natural beauty and a community that
valued the arts. I was always encouraged
to keep creating and believing in myself as an artist, by parents and teachers.
Coos Bay still has a thriving art community that my mother, Jean Boynton, is an
active part of.
I enthusiastically pursued
art and art history at University of Oregon . . .
and took a year-long program
in Europe, studying the arts. I also had
a passion for travel from early on, and the travel bug got the better of
me. I ended up pursuing a career in
travel, somehow being convinced that art was not a lucrative professional
pathway, and wanting to see the world. Even though I went into business for
myself in travel, I continued to take art classes and workshops for several
years, dabbling in oil, acrylic and watercolor painting.
Somewhere along the
line . . .
I had stopped actively creating art for almost 20 years, caught up in
a busy life and work. By that time, I was living in Seattle, WA and had
transitioned from travel into the field of personal and professional
development. In my own self-exploration,
I became aware that art was the missing link to true fulfillment for me. That was in 2008, the beginning of my
watercolor journey. I began taking watercolor classes from Denise Cole at Cole Gallery in
Edmonds, WA and workshops and classes from Caroline Buchanan, an amazing teacher and mentor who kept encouraging me to
pursue my art. Though I still work full
time, I have consistently taken off Fridays just to paint for almost a decade.
I have lived in beautiful
Central Oregon since 2012 . . .
It has
such a large and active art community, and I’ve learned from so many wonderful
Oregon artists. In particular, Winnie Givot, the first artist I took classes
from, who inspired and encouraged me to keep painting. “It’s just about putting miles on the brush,”
is what she used to say when I’d get discouraged. I’ve learned the art of watercolor journals
and have enjoyed trips to Italy and Greece with her and many of my artist
friends. I’ve also enjoyed learning from
Helen Brown, Sarah B Hansen, and all
the artists that teach through Sagebrushers Art
Society and Watercolor Society of Oregon.
My passions of art, travel and coaching are coming together,
which has been a goal of mine for a long time.
I bring art and creativity into my coaching work through Expressive
Arts, SoulCollage and Intuitive Painting workshops. I’ve been taking art workshops overseas to
feed my artist soul. I am now planning
retreats abroad of my own, bringing those passions together into an offering
for other like-minded souls who want to live more artful lives of joy and
purpose. If you are interested, please
visit www.coachwithsoul.com.