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If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be running an art studio out of my basement, I probably would have laughed. By day, I work full-time in HR — a job that’s rewarding, but also busy, structured, and honestly, pretty draining some weeks. Mandala painting wasn’t part of any plan. It started as something small: a way to unwind after work, a few quiet minutes with a paintbrush instead of a screen.
I didn’t expect to fall for it the way I did.
A hobby that quietly took over
What began as personal stress relief slowly became something I looked forward to every day. There’s something about the rhythm of mandala painting dot by dot, pattern by pattern that pulls you into the present moment. It’s meditative in a way I didn’t have language for at first. I just knew that after a long day managing people problems and deadlines, sitting down with my paints made me feel like myself again.
Somewhere along the way, friends and family started asking for pieces of their own a custom mandala as a gift, a personalized design for a special occasion. I started taking my work to local markets, and that’s when it really clicked: this wasn’t just something that healed me, it was something that could bring a little of that same calm into other people’s homes and lives too.
Building VBrush Studio, one late night at a time
Growing a business alongside a full-time career and raising a kid is not easy, I’ll be the first to say that. There were plenty of late nights and early mornings squeezed between work meetings, school runs, and everything else that comes with juggling it all. Last year, I converted my basement into a real studio space, finally giving my art a proper home instead of a corner of the kitchen table.
This year, I took a short break to slow down and get the foundations right registering VBrush Studio as an official business, building out my website, and streamlining how I take orders and connect with customers. It wasn’t glamorous work, but it mattered. It’s what let me go from “the mandala person at the market” to a studio that can properly support the people who want to bring this art into their own lives.
Why mandalas, specifically
Mandalas have always represented balance and wholeness circular patterns that draw your eye inward, the same way the painting process draws your mind inward. Every piece I create, whether it’s a canvas, a hand-painted bag, a journal, or a home décor piece, starts from that same place: slowing down enough to really see the pattern forming underneath your hands. That’s the feeling I try to hand off in every custom piece I paint and it’s the same feeling I now get to share directly through my Mindful Mandala Retreat workshops here in Saskatoon.
What’s next
I started VBrush Studio because painting mandalas gave me something I didn’t know I needed a way to breathe, slow down, and create something meaningful in the middle of a busy life. If that resonates with you, whether you’re looking for a custom piece, a handmade gift, or a couple of hours to just create and recharge, I’d love to have you along for the journey. Explore the shop, or grab a spot at our next Mindful Mandala Retreat I’d love to paint with you.