Sisters, Stories, and the Joy of Painting

For us, painting has always been more than art—it’s a way to connect with family, with stories, and with the joy of creating.

I (Amber) first fell in love with painting 20 years ago when I picked up oils. I loved the slow, meditative process of layering paint, watching a canvas transform. But after moving back home to Michigan to raise my daughter near family, my creative journey took a new turn, thanks to my sister.

In 2023, our mom gifted us a “make-your-own abstract paint-and-sip” experience, and my sister introduced me to acrylics. I hadn’t painted in years. I stopped while pregnant and when my daughter was little because of the chemicals in oils, but acrylics felt safe, vibrant, and freeing. I quickly discovered how much I had missed creating. Painting became the outlet I was craving as a new mom, a chance to pause and do something just for me.

One summer day while painting together, my daughter asked for a stegosaurus. That request turned into a bold 15x30 canvas of a bright purple steggy with hot pink plates and tropical flowers. I loved every second of it. That painting sparked something new, I started creating dinosaurs in bright, playful colors. They weren’t about perfection or realism; they were about joy, freedom, and bold expression.

My sister’s path to painting has its own story. She started in high school, taking classes at a local studio, and later went on to study art education at Grand Valley State University. She found a love for illustration during that time and today teaches middle school art in Kentwood, MI, inspiring young artists every day. But between teaching and raising two kids, her own art took a back seat.

In 2024, her husband gifted her a watercolor kit for Christmas, and it changed everything. Watercolors gave her a way to combine her love of illustration with painting, and she quickly fell in love. Her work leans into the fantasy stories we grew up with, dragons, magical creatures, and whimsical designs inspired by the tales told to us as children.

Our family was rich with storytelling. Alicia's godfather, our Papa Butch, a Norwegian immigrant, told us about little Ash Lad and trolls who lived under bridges, while our Grandpa Core shared Potawatomi legends and read us the tale of Hiawatha. These stories live on in the art we create today, whether it’s playful dinosaurs or imaginative fantasy worlds.

Painting together brought us closer not just as sisters, but as artists. It gave each of us the chance to reclaim creativity in the middle of busy lives, and to share it with others. What started as family painting nights has grown into something bigger: a shared brand built on color, imagination, and story.

At Sisters Core Art, every piece we create is rooted in the joy of painting, the magic of storytelling, and the bond of family. We hope our art brings a little wonder, whimsy, and happiness into your home, just as creating it has for us.