Shown in Photo: Entry to my home that I landscaped and decorated in my virtual world

Unveiling Hidden Talents and Creative Wonders

My venture into the digital art world blossomed through a series of unexpected opportunities and discoveries nearly two decades ago. Each step in my journey unveiled the hidden talents and passions that lay within me, guiding me toward the intricate and enchanting realm of digital creation!

On-the-Job Training:

My initial foray into digital art began through various roles at different employers. Each position presented unique challenges and learning opportunities, gradually honing my skills in creating digital content. Everything from graphic design to entire departmental manuals with photos and all the needed marketing materials or in house training materials was something I quickly learned how to do and worked with the graphic design and photo editing programs for my creations. These early experiences were invaluable, providing the foundational knowledge and growing skills that would later become crucial in my artistic journey.

Creating for My Husband's Men's Ministry:

A pivotal moment came in 2004 when my husband asked for help to get his men’s ministry off the ground. He needed my digital skills to manage the online presence, create a MySpace social account and later transition our online social presence to a Facebook account. Additionally, I was tasked with developing a ministry website, designing a logo, and producing all marketing materials. It was a tall order while raising small children, working, and finishing my college degree but I rolled up my sleeves and embraced the challenge wholeheartedly!

Make it stand out

Many nights were spent typing and working until the wee hours of usually 1 a.m., but I happily undertook the responsibility of creating and coding a website for the ministry to support his dreams. Our grown children occasionally reminisce about their childhood, recalling me at the desk right outside their bedrooms and listening to the gentle sound of my typing late into the night after I had settled them down to sleep.
My children and husband are everything to me and I lavishly love and support whatever they need! If my husband needed it, I made it for him - everything from marketing visuals and training booklets to posters and banners for his conferences as a guest speaker for FMI and Promise Keeper events and church conferences!
This comprehensive project encompassed web development, marketing, and graphic design, and the full online presence and hands-on materials. Immersing myself in this endeavor was both empowering and inspiring, revealing the depth of my passion for digital artistry and my innate ability to grasp and transform concepts and dreams into beautiful, tangible realities.

Stepping into a Virtual World:

My virtual realm where I can create anything!

Shown in Photo: Me with my little Cavalier King Charles Spaniel pup Rosie!
This is my everday avatar, I was going for a walk on a summer day in the forest and then was attending a 60’s concert with a live streaming band in the evening so hence the flowers in my hair… but I do change into an angel as well which we will talk more about in upcoming posts!

In 2007, I ventured into a captivating virtual 3D world, marking the beginning of a new chapter in my creative journey. This immersive environment offered endless possibilities for expression and design. Have you ever played a video game and began to customize your avatar and needed to shop for clothes or accessories? I learned to create jewelry and crowns and began by crafting wearable jewelry that other players could adorn their virtual avatars with and even then created my own shop for them!

It was great fun and a lot of highly detailed work to create tiny nano gems and set them by hand. I would attend various events as a vendor where my jewels and crowns could help others for a cause, some of the proceeds would go to non profit organizations in the real everday world to raise money for cures for cancer and other illnesses or causes for women, children and animals. I could sketch my designs in the real world and use modeling programs to craft them into 3D objects and then import them into the a virtual world for other people to enjoy and even have an impact with non profit humanitarian organizations! Witnessing my creations come to life in a vibrant, interactive space was immensely gratifying.

As my proficiency grew, so did my ambitions. I delved into terraforming, landscaping, and interior design within the virtual realm helping and soon I was able to create nearly anything and had delighted in virtual decor. These skills allowed me to create not only my own enchanted worlds but also to design and decorate grand kingdoms with beautiful gardens, lush forests with charming animals, rugged mountains, beach mansions and sandy hideaways tucked behind ocean waves, angelic clouds and majestic castles for fellow players. Transforming virtual landscapes and interiors into intricate and beautiful spaces became a labor of love.

My reputation in the virtual world flourished as I took on more projects, people would ask me to create bespoke avatars and detailed environments and homes for them. Each assignment was an opportunity to stretch my creative boundaries and explore new techniques. The virtual realm became a canvas for my imagination, where I could bring intricate designs to life and share them with a global community.

Princess Lanna of the Kingdom of Lundene

Shown in Photo: One of the realms where I was asked to create an elven princess character and was also commissioned to help them design, landscape and decorate their Kingdom and castle as well!
Wearing my own tiara crown, forehead circlet and necklace which I designed and hand created with 3 D sculpted nano prims!

A New Path Unveiled:

Through these experiences, I discovered that digital art was not merely a skill but a profound passion that had been waiting to be unearthed. The blend of technology and creativity provided a unique avenue for artistic expression, each skill layering effortlessly over the last enabling me to bring nearly anything to life! When I first began my adventures into traditional art and begining to create the early days of The Gilded Hart, I drew from my experience learning to create a new business and shop from my virutal jewelry store! My journey into the digital realm opened new doors, setting the stage for ongoing exploration and growth as an artist and aiding me in my own future path of becoming a business owner and endless artistic endeavors!