Welcome to the first installment of “A Moment with Mariah” where I share some “oh so very interesting” tidbits of information about my mysterious self. So much to share, where do I begin?! How about at the beginning? When I was growing up I lived in the sticks- not much to do, not much excitement. So, I spent all my time curled up in a chair in the living room with sketch pads and pencils. I drew for hours everyday and dreamed that someday when I grew up I’d be an artist. At the time I really wanted to work for Disney. Now I wonder… if I had stuck with that plan could I have gotten in on the  ground floor at Pixar? Oh well,  that’s neither here nor there! A little later on I decided that photography was more my speed and since I was 12 and all 12 year old girls love dolphins, underwater photography seemed like a good idea. Well, flash forward 28 years. I still love all things oceany, snorkeling is a favorite past time & I have a nifty underwater camera. I’ve traded in sketch pads for canvas and brush and when I can eek out a little time to myself I like to spend it painting “The Life Aquatic”. Here’s a sampling of some of my more recent endeavors. My hubby bought me this awesome easel for my birthday- I started a new painting yesterday. It’s a tropical night scene with VW bus (another one of my obsessions). The photo was taken by a former Snap! bride (hey Loi!) that I follow on Instagram! The 2 paintings in the middle are sea urchins (16×16) and a sea turtle (5×5). The octopus is a painting that I did for my sister. You can’t tell from the photo, but it’s huge! (40×40) It hangs in her living room. I love it, it was hard to leave it… but I love her more and I can visit it! In my next life, I’ll live a bohemian lifestyle somewhere tropical, drive a VW bus with paddleboards strapped to the top, sell my paintings at farmers markets, drink lots of smoothies, and teach underwater photography to kids. Maybe I don’t have to wait until the next life for that, maybe that can just be what I’ll do in retirement. A girl can dream…