Hi, I’m Summer!
Three things you need to know about me. First of all, the way to my heart is through dill pickles. Second, I was bitten by the travel bug years ago and continuous travel is my medicine. Finally, showing people the world through my eyes is my passion it makes my heart soar. I was born and raised in a small town in North West America. Growing up I always loved art and writing in school, it gave me a chance to express myself despite my overwhelming shyness. But once middle school chaos took over my life my creativity began to retreat.
Leaving for Europe:
This was until my family decided to uproot from our hometown and travel around Europe for two years. The first few months after leaving I started to rediscover my identity again. Remembering the wonders of travel and how it made my heart glow. Going off on my own little walks and wandering through beaches, cities, and villages, I would perch on an overlook of a small village, open my little sketchbook, and start to draw. It was amazing. I started taking pictures of the cities we visited and sketching them out in the evening. I began this blog when I was fourteen years old, writing about the places we visited and what we did when we were there. In those two years, we visited twenty-four different countries in Europe and Africa. This was a life changing experience that forever changed the way I saw the world.
Upon returning home:
Two years later it didn’t take long for me to get itchy feet to travel again. I decided I wanted to be an exchange student in France. Having been raised with that ‘go big or go home’ attitude my mom took faith in my talents and bought me 25 huge canvases to paint the places we had traveled. I tried my luck working for the first time with acrylic paints and a surface that big. I repainted that painting six times. When I finally had an art show at age seventeen to raise money for my year abroad, that painting was the first to sell.
Once in France:
I was inspired beyond belief by visiting the Louvre, Picasso, Matisse, and Magritte museums. Taking pictures of the places I visited with the intent to paint them once returned home. In the winter it became too cold to sit and paint in my little art room, and I began to write. Retelling all of the stories of my past adventures, I got into detail about the reality of travel and how it changed me. Writing about dealing with camper breakdowns, unexpected cliff jumping, trying to keep up with friends back home, and living out of one carry-on suitcase. It was the first book in the series Starting to Soar which will be released in 2019 to the public.
With all my art I try to convey my emotions and memories. I want to give people a sense of wanderlust by showing them unique places through my eyes, paintbrush, and words. I am an adventurer and this is my world. Bienvenue, bienvenidos, and welcome.
