09/02/2026
“Rich as I Could Be” -before I ever became a tattoo artist, I was a poor little eastern Kentucky girl with crayons and a lot of magic in my heart. My mother was an amazing creative force in those days (still is)- she was a wonderful portrait artist, seamstress, quilter, doll maker, and master of many creative things. I also grew up with Dolly Parton, another creative enigma that surrounded my childhood with songs of the mountains. My mama used to make a lot of my clothes for me, so the song “Coat of Many Colors” was my favorite of all, and my heart-song to my mama. This little painting is a tribute to those beginnings…and to two women who have deeply influenced the way I see the world: my mama and Dolly. As we remember our women and mourn the loss of our beloved smoky mountain songbird, may we be reminded that being poor is nothing more than a mindset that we can choose to suffer by…OR a simple reminder that we only stand to gain, and have nothing to lose as we walk through this world. We really do create our own reality while we are here, so we can choose to make our world a beautiful place. May it be filled with magic, loving kindness, and light…May we be rich as we can be 🌼 (Koi Watercolor Classic Palette, Sakura Pigma ink pen, on 6x6@ cold pressed paper)
