Hinesville, GA

“Although my family is what's most important in my life, painting is what really keeps me going. It's what helps me express my joy, anger, sadness and forget about all the negative going on in or around me. It reminds me that I am not limited due to my disabilities but the world is my canvas and I can paint every story I feel.”

Veteran artist Yvette has enjoyed a life-long connection to art. She was introduced to art and creativity in grade school but it wasn’t until junior high that she was formally introduced to her creative soul. Yvette continued to sketch in her free time but her career in the military and time spent raising her children took priority over creating art. It wasn’t until Yvette retired from the Army that she was able to fully reconnect and explore her creative soul.

Yvette spent over 20 years in the Army, managing a dining facility. Her goal for every person who had a meal in her facility is that a feeling of home and belonging was felt while they were there. Her desire to create familiarity and comfort within spaces has influenced her paintings in a profound way. In 2013 after Yvette had retired, she was helping her daughter move into an apartment, the artwork intended for the space didn’t feel right, Yvette decided to paint something that would be right, creating a painting that embodied the feeling of home. When thinking about creating that painting Yvette remembers, “I felt it at that moment, like I was living my second life.” Yvette has spent many of her days since painting in her studio.

She has not received any formal training, rather, learning from experience and videos she watches online. Her style is an intuitive one, the inspiration for a piece can come from anywhere. Yvette’s paintings always begin with music, from that point she incorporates her mood, dreams, recent experiences, and most importantly the support and inspiration she receives from her family into each painting.

Painting has taught Yvette many important lessons over the years, the empowerment Yvette has gained through her art is perhaps the most powerful. “I am invincible. I truly can do or create whatever I feel. Abstract is my go to, however, with a little patience and guidance from YouTube tutorials, I can create anything and the only thing that can slow me down is running out of paint.”