My nana instilled a love of art in me since I was very young. Every Christmas and every birthday, she couldn’t help but get me a new crafting kit or art supplies. She was an artist, and so when she and my grandpa designed their home, they included an art studio. This was my wonderland. She let me explore the shelves upon shelves of art supplies that were very much out of my depth at that point. I was even allowed to thumb through the photos my grandpop took on their travels that she would later use as references for her paintings. Somehow, the amazement she fostered has stuck with me. Although she passed in 2015, I still have her paintings in my room and was lucky enough to get my hands on a few of her technique books she used to create those paintings. As cooking connects me to my mom, painting connects me to my nana.