WHAT IF ...you could hold your heart in your hands? If everything you love and feel passionate about could be personified in a piece of art that reminds you every single day how much you are worth?

This is the direction I am taking in my work. I want you to see yourself in the way that I see you. Incredible. Beautiful in your own skin. Full of life and love, gratitude, and imperfect perfection. Think of the person you love more than anyone else in the world, how they look to you, how you can see them and all of their potential with wonder and amazement and compassion. Now turn these feelings on yourself. This is how I want you to feel. You are beyond amazing.

~~ I was raised in Denver, Colorado, in the shade of the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. At 21 years old, however, I needed a change of scenery. My best friend and I picked Portland, Oregon off of a map--sight-unseen--and hit the road. That was way back in 1997, and Portland is home now more than ever.

I graduated from Portland State University with a Bachelor's in Drawing, Painting, and Printmaking in 2002. At that time my daughter was only 2 years old. Like so many aspiring artists, I worked several restaurant and office jobs in the years to come until finally, in 2005, a friend offered me the opportunity to go into business with her and I jumped at the chance. I have been self-employed ever since, and I am now a full-time working artist.

To view my entire portfolio, blog, and more information, visit my website at www.LeaKArts.com