I just added Healing Garden #94 to my online shop. It's a lovely pieces: a round 10" canvas. Just the perfect addition to a lonely wall. It's got two personal aspects that I enjoy about it. First, it's inspired by a photo my friend sent to me some time ago. We often exchange images of flowers in our gardens. This lily of the valley took three years to bloom. I can see my friend being overjoyed seeing the dainty blooms. Second, this used to be my grandmother's favorite flower. I have such fond memories of the blooms in her garden in Prague. So, of course, I had to paint it! And here we are with the new Healing Garden. 

My process is to take a look at the photograph and capture some of the most evident shapes in pencil on canvas. Then, I select a variety of markers - I often just reach into the bin with my eyes closed and see what pops up. Then, I color in the shapes and add dots all around the outlined areas. The last level is to add patterns all over the work in complimenting or contrasting colors. Such a flow in the process. I love it! 

Thank you for your generous support of my work. It's so lovely to share my Healing Garden paintings with you. I also appreciate when you let me know how they are now adding joy to your home. So many wonderful ideas! Wall turned into original art showcases. Yay! You can shop Healing Garden series HERE.

I have designed over a 100 different textile patterns for my collection of RADOST scarves. It's so much fun to play with colors, shapes, and textures, and provide you options to shop by color or by the story behind each scarf. Do you enjoy black-and-white patterns or do you have a favorite color? Here is just a tiny selection. Take a look online and treat yourself to a lovely addition to your accessories. 

My friend Jen took this photo of me at the reception for "Nature Abounds" (show at the Chesapeake Framing Co in Kensington, MD). My top matched my art well and I got a bunch of compliments (on both the top and my art). There were great conversations and much laughter. And I believe this laughter is a direct result of the work I have been doing for the past several months. Why I create my Healing Gardens? About a year ago, my head was buzzing with ideas: ones I was not really happy with. Some personal matters needed to be healed and I navigated my inner life, I kept thinking about my beloved grandmother. She was always excited to see me and her other grandkids. Her presence was calming and encouraging at the same time.

​I went through some photographs of her garden in Prague, Czech Republic, where I grew up. There were roses and peonies. Beautiful walnut and apple trees. Carrots. Potatoes. Strawberries. Peas. The images kept helping me: my thoughts would race less and I started channeling my grandmother's care through floral art. A visit to Hillwood with a friend resulted in purchasing acrylic markers at the gift shop. When I got home that day, the first Healing Garden was born. I am currently working on Healing Garden #95 and I can't even begin to tell you about how much joy and healing this body of creative work has brought into my life. 

My Healing Garden paintings celebrate the emotional sanctuary a garden provides—a space of joy, wonder, and safety. Each artwork combines vivid colors with intricate patterns to evoke a sense of beauty and restfulness. What began as a personal reflection has now blossomed into lively chats with family, friends, and neighbors, about what gardens mean to them—transforming memory into shared connection and healing. And definitely fewer buzzing thoughts!​

Caring people and beautiful nature are powerful and life-affirming aspects of our lives. I have a photo of my grandmother in my living room and always smile right back when I catch a glimpse of her. ​Thank you, grandma! P.S. She would not really enjoy having her image shared but I want to celebrate my deep love for this lovely lady. And you know, grandkids sometimes misbehave :) Here she is! 

Nature is healing to me. Being outside, observing my surroundings, slowing down my step and breath. Sunshine, chirping of birds, crunching of sticks under my feet. So, it's no surprise that many of the scarves in my RADOST line-up (the word means JOY in Czech) are inspired by nature. I invite you to check them out in my online shop.

BUTTERFLIES Option 3 - There are over 20,000 species of butterflies in the world! Wow! To many, they represent change and transformation, comfort, and hope. When this colorful print rests around your neck, may it bring on thoughts of positivity and growth. Let's adorn the world with beauty like butterflies do. ​

RAIN DROP - I often remind myself to look up. But sometimes it’s good to look down too. Following a rain shower one day on a Costa Rica trip, I stumbled upon this gem of a rain drop as I peeked at a leaf below my feet. One thing led to another, and the result is a scarf design created out of my photo. Kind of cool, right? This scarf is a reminder to pause, slow down, and appreciate the details around us. 

PERSERVERANCE - Gingko leaves have been symbols of hope, peace, longevity, and endurance, across many cultures. Aren't they just gorgeous? The shape. The color! I hope this print - which I am calling Perseverance - is a reminder for you to keep going and knowing your inner strength is bigger than you will ever know.

If you follow my Healing Garden series journey, you know that it started with my capturing my grandmother's garden in my paintings. But the word spread quickly and now I have been inspired by gardens of friends and neighbors and strangers. What a journey! Healing Garden #89, however, takes me back to my family. My cousin sent me a photo of blooms from her garden in Prague. We share fond memories of our grandmother and often talk about her positive impact on our lives. My cousin's photo inspired this work on round canvas. I love the shape: a circle is just such a soft and all-inclusive shape. Read on for my experience and let me know if you are interested in this painting. 

My cousin's photo inspired a sketch: I jotted down overall shapes, no specific details. I am not after botanical precision, rather a feeling, a sense of safety one finds in a garden and within loving relationships. And what better way to work on this piece, then to go to a beautiful garden! A sunny day. Warm breeze. A comfy bench. I spent an afternoon at McCrillis Garden in Bethesda, MD. I listened to an audio book, painted the shapes in vibrant colors, and rested in moments of pause. Lovely. The azaleas were in full bloom so, of course, expect a painting coming of this garden too!

And here we go Healing Garden #89 is all set. I have loved creating it: what a delightful experience of connection, pause, and positive thoughts. Interested? Check it out HERE. 

Wow, I am out of words. Today's reception at Chesapeake Framing Co was such a delightful experience. Family, friends, neighbors. We gathered for an afternoon of art and sharing and so much laughter! Tracy Whiteside and I appreciate your support. Tracy (in her 90s), who is a student of mine at the Knollwood Retirement Community in Washington, DC, is a wonderful pastel artist (and a dear friend). Tracy had so many great visitors today and many current and new friends turned into new collectors. Hugs. Conversations. Support. Just great fun! Our show - "Nature Abounds" is on view until April 30, 2026. THANK YOU!

We ran out of red dots! Industry standard, yes, but we needed more. So, we got blue dots and yellow dots. Thank you so much for your kind support of our work. It means a lot! The staff at Chesapeake Framing Co invited us all into the wonderful gallery space and assisted with questions and coordination of sales. Tracy and I are deeply grateful for this experience. See slides below for artworks that found new homes. But we keep creating so be in touch!

For the inspiration for my Healing Garden series, I take photos of flowers wherever I travel. I took the photographs below in Casco Viejo and enjoyed them for a variety of reasons. They showcase species of plants I have not been familiar with before. They have beautiful colors and shapes and textures. And the compositions of the photos lend themselves easily to dynamic paintings. And of course, they are memories of my lovely travel adventures. 

Once I had my inspiration photos, I went ahead with pencil sketches. These three Healing Gardens started as pencil on Yupo. Slowly, I added a layer in acrylic pens of different finishes (mat and metallic) and thicknesses. I love how portable this process is: I can paint on the airplane, at cafes, on park benches. How delightful!

And here we go! I hope these works honor Panama as a beautiful country with rich cultural traditions. My artworks reflect the three inspiration photos and each work incorporates some (or a combination of) my sketches from the Mola Museum. You are welcome to check out the final works HERE. Enjoy!

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I had the pleasure of participating in "Sketching Morocco's Stories with Dina" - a TourHero trip to Casablanca, Fes, Tanger, and Chefchaouen, with DC-area artist Dina Wise. A total of 8 female artists from the DMV spent 9 days exploring the country and creating together. I have never done anything like this and will cherish the experience forever. 

Dina was engaging and supported our own practices. We set goals to pursue during the trip and saw each other move through the creative motions. My challenge for the trip was to observe architectural details around me (Morocco is a stunning country!) and incorporate them into my Healing Garden series so the country is reflected in the artworks. And I did it! Check out the beautiful patterns: they were everywhere! 

And here we go with the artworks I completed in Morocco. Check out the inspiration photos (and where I took them) and then see my process. Final artworks are HERE available for purchase.

Public Art Classes
No prior experience required—everyone is welcome, regardless of skill level.
All materials will be provided.

March 3 (10:30am-12pm) at OASIS in Bethesda, MD (sign-up HERE)
Mandalas (Meditative Exploration of Balance): No matter what ‘balance’ may mean to you, the theme will inspire us during a guided meditation and a visual exploration of ‘balance’ in a mandala. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have created a one-of-a-kind artwork communicating your particular experience.

April 14 (10:30am-12pm) at OASIS in Bethesda, MD (sign-up HERE)
Mini Floral Paintings: Did you know flowers are the most popular theme in art? Join art educator Martina Sestakova for a workshop, during which we take a look at famous floral patterns and create a series of our own small floral paintings in watercolors. We will play with colors, shapes, and textures and delve into basic watercolor techniques.

April 29 (2:30-4:00pm) at Davis Library in Bethesda, MD (sign-up link coming)
Abstract Paintings Inspired by Mary Oliver's Poetry: Enjoy a workshop of poetry reading and abstract painting with art educator Martina Sestakova. We will refer to poems by Mary Oliver for inspiration for intuitive visual explorations. May words be interpreted through colors, shapes, and textures? Join in and see! You will explore the exciting interaction of words and watercolors in abstract compositions.

June 16 (10:30am-12:00pm) at OASIS in Bethesda, MD (register HERE)
The Patterns that Shape Us: Inspired by Australian Indigenous artworks seen at the National Gallery of Art, this class, lead by art educator Martina Sestakova, explores how repetition and abstraction can hold memory, place, and meaning. Through discussion and a meditative writing exercise, you will identify patterns from your own life and create abstract compositions that express personal stories. We will work in watercolors and colored pencils. 

June 23 (10:30am-12:00pm) at OASIS in Bethesda, MD (register HERE)
Eyes Closed, Hands Open: In this intuitive drawing workshop, you will create a vase of flowers using a pencil in each hand—eyes closed—allowing movement, sensation, and trust to guide the image. Through bilateral drawing, your spontaneous drawing will turn into colorful and detailed, imaginary floral artworks. We will work in watercolors and colored pencils. ​

It's always such fun to work with my clients on commissioned original pieces of art for their homes. My last commission of 2025 is exactly this: fun. I met my client in her new home. We walked around, located the spot for the artwork, and also looked at paintings in the space to pin point colors and ambiance she enjoys to be surrounded with. My client had seen my work before and wanted a painting in the style of my "Healing Garden" series. This series celebrates the beauty of nature and it's ability to make us feel safe and in awe. 

When working on a commission, I ask my clients to make three decisions: size of the artwork, source inspiration (e.g., a photo of their favorite spot), and colors to create the painting in. My client shared the photo below: a memory of her trip to see the redwoods. How lovely! We chose acrylics on 30x24" canvas and a beautiful array of colors. With all decisions made, I started to create!

While I tend to focus on nature (e.g., flowers and their blooms), I was quite drawn to the path my client's photo captured. Such a beautiful invitation to walk through the forest. I sketched a scene in pencil and shared it with my client. Green light was given and I introduced colors: going from the white canvas to a burst of color is fulfilling and exciting!

In my Healing Garden series, I start by filling in the sketched areas and then I work on the background. I love circles: they are such symbols of wholeness and containment to me. Halfway through - a little bit of excitement never hurts - my acrylic marker ran out of paint! Luckily, I was able to get a new one quickly and finished the background to my satisfaction. 

With the shapes colored in and the background taken care of, I layered additional details in each color area. More dots, flowers, lines. Hours of little movements that turned this white canvas into a feast for the eyes! I find this type of process restful with just the right dose of excitement of additional colors and shapes appearing in front of me. ​

And here we go! The finished artwork - Healing Garden #56 - is complete and ready to add meaningful visual excitement to my client's home. The painting captures my client's unique experience during her travels, honors the colors she enjoys being surrounded by, and hopefully brings a big of sunshine to her home. Yay!

Want to learn about my Healing Garden series? Visit HERE. Want to work with me on a commissioned artwork, visit HERE.

I went on a great trip to Peru visiting several locations (Lima, Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and Cusco) and learning about the culture and history. As you know, I have been working on a series of works called Healing Garden. These works reference places in nature: spots in gardens, parks, around cities. They are an ode to nature and a garden in particular as places of awe and safety. 

Below are four works that mean a lot to me in terms of awe and safety. Peru is a beautiful country. The mountains are breathtaking and the nature so powerful and intense. So, that's the awe part. In terms of safety, I went on this trip by myself (with hotels and transportation planned ahead) and had the best time. I loved exploring the places and hoping around and most of all I noticed this strong sense of safety: within myself (I did not scare my own mind when I was in a new place) and around myself (everywhere I went, I was met with kindness and smiles). As a woman, a sense of safety (in any and all its meanings) is a big deal. And I lived it and witnessed it. These four works are an ode to places that allowed me to breathe, take in beauty, and rest. Enjoy!
 
​You can find these in my online store HERE. 
Healing Garden #46 - Sacred Valley, Peru
Healing Garden #47 - Larco Museum, Lima, Peru
Healing Garden #48 - Lima, Peru
Healing Garden #49 - Quinoa plant, Lima, Peru