Stephanie Shomsky

I am a relatively new budding artist living in Weirton, WV, with my husband of 15 years.

Two years ago, our family went through the very difficult loss of my sister. About 6 months later, I started attending paint-and-sip events with a very dear friend and discovered that painting brought me a lot of peace and joy.

Shortly after, I decided to buy my own at-home paint supplies and began painting with acrylic on canvas as part of my grief and healing therapy. Painting became my form of meditation, and I had no idea how much it would transform me and my well-being.

I have since painted numerous pieces as well as gifts for family and friends. This past Christmas (with tips from Witty Voyager, of course ), I hand-painted and resined wood slice ornaments as gifts. And more recently, I started experimenting with watercolors.

For this collaboration, I chose to paint this hibiscus flower for my sister’s birthday last year. She and I used to send Snapchat selfies to each other constantly, and our favorite filter was the one with the hibiscus flower and palm tree branches. This painting reminds me of the warm and happy memories that we shared.