When my daughter first started school, I wasn’t sure where to pick up where I had left off with my art career. I had owned a paint-your-own-pottery studio, taken freelance commissions and given art lessons while she was little. I took her with me to my studio. Now that she was in school, it gave me a lot more time to pursue my hands-on art. Jerry’s Artarama (an art supply store) online had several art contests listed. There was one for soft pastels. I had never used them before, but thought it would be fun to give it a go. Several years prior I had taken photographs of the girls making clover jewelry in our front yard. I used one of Victoria as a reference. I place 2nd in the contest… and I still love using the soft pastels today!