April Wrapped 2026 - Monthly Art Check-In

Some of my favourites this month <3

Welcome back to my monthly blog post, my April Wrapped! April was a month for noticing the beginning of change. Especially in Alberta, the change is subtle. Most of our days are still stuck in the thrall of Winter, but the sun stays longer, and the wind has slightly less bite to it. Now that April is over, we can truly accept that Spring is just ahead. Here are some notes to help you feel more creative and get the most out of your days. Take note, especially if you are exhausted from winter and need something to lift your spirits.

• Make Plans! - It's Spring (despite the May storm I just got), so take a minute to schedule something to look forward to. It can be as simple as a morning when you leave a bit earlier to stop for a coffee and croissant on your way to work/school, a night out with your friends, or a plan to host your favourite people for a night around the fire. Having something to prepare for and anticipate makes a long week go faster.

• Spring Refresh - It's the time of year you are moving into new areas of your closet, and it's a good idea to go through it when you have a minute. Putting together outfits and finding accessories to spice up what you already have makes old things seem exciting again.

• Get Outside! - This is always my advice, but especially now. The air might still have a bite to it, but wrap yourself in a blanket, sit on the back steps, and watch the sun go down. Or brew your tea (or coffee) and drink it with the first rays of morning. Be intentional about getting out of your house, and your body will thank you for it.

• Connect with your Inner Child - This might sound funny from someone who is only 18, but there is a lot of pressure to grow up, and it's easy, even for someone as young as me, to lose touch with the joy and wonder that comes so easily to children. So remember the foods you used to love, or the activities that make you laugh and try them again. For me, it's breaking out the scissors and glue to scrapbook.

• Learn to Schedule - This might sound boring compared to many of the other things I talk about, but I promise it's important. Get yourself a calendar or a day planner (I have both) and write in your plans for each week. This way, appointments or assignments don't get missed. I like to use fun stationery and highlighters to give myself a little dopamine boost. Also, I recommend writing in recipes to try or essays you want to read, quotes you heard, and other little things in there as well. A place to get things out of your mind and onto paper.

• Read Alexa Chugs 40 Pearls of Wisdom at 40 - I loved this essay, recommended by Hannah Connolly (whose content I love, by the way). It shares just small pieces of advice that I think everyone, but especially women in their late teens to late 20s, need to hear. She has a humorous tone in her writing that I adore.

• Seasonal Classical Music - I believe classical music is a lovely way to feel emotion, without the experience of another person swaying how you interpret the music. An intentional way to listen is to welcome in each new season with classical pieces. The 4 Seasons by Vivaldi is my favourite for this, but other composers have had similar compositions.

Thank you for reading these little pieces of advice, and I hope you try one! Having a little sticky note above my desk with ideas like this really helps me remember to incorporate them into my days.

Now, a little about me. April was another busy month. The Instagram account has 385 followers as of today, exactly at my first checkpoint in reaching my 500-follower goal. Definitely behind where I wanted to be at this time this year, but I haven't been as consistent as I would have liked. During my weekly art class, I finished my large acrylic piece featuring San Jose, Costa Rica. This piece is especially close to my heart, and I love the details. In class, I then started another large project, this time a dramatic and colourful sunset over Lake Newell. I find it stunning, and the piece just seemed to flow right from my mind. I started yet another, smaller acrylic piece, this time of the waterfall in La Fortuna, Costa Rica. Mostly I tried to paint a little looser and play with light and dark. It has just been a background piece to work on when I'm in between projects. I worked on starting a painted record commission for a repeat customer throughout April. I started in May and love how it's turning out. These types of commissions are an affordable way to purchase custom art from me and are great gifts. I spent some time curating an art display for my school as well. I created all the signage myself, then included some originals, prints, and other products of mine to showcase. If you attend Holy Trinity, go check it out! My 3 Sisters Painting, Alberta Dream, is now officially in the Avalon Canmore show home, which is so exciting! It is up for auction with the starting bid at $215. If you are interested, send me an email or dm and I can get you connected with the bidding! Another recent exciting opportunity is that I have started connecting with Orenda Society to discuss running a workshop in their space. I will keep you all posted with what comes out of our upcoming conversation. Lots of exciting things on the horizon and lots of beautiful paintings. That is all from the art side of things this month.

In my personal life, April started with, of course, Easter Break! We spent Easter Sunday having a lovely dinner at home and attending a candlelight service at Church. The next day, we ventured up to my grandparents' farm to see the baby calves, find hidden Easter treats, and get in some visiting. Later during the break, my Dad took me to see the Trio Fibonacci, which was lovely and inspired me to include classical music in this month's round of advice. Besides that, I spent time with my art and going out with my friends. With any warm weather, I spent lots of time outside with our sheep, going on walks, or heading to the river.

Thank you for tuning in if you've made it this far! I will try to post one of these at the end of each month to keep everyone updated. Let me know if you have any other ideas for what I should write about in these blogs (my dms and email are open!)