Maria is a military spouse and painter who specializes in portraits. She blogs consistently about her work and her process. She is a warm, joyful woman and I’ve felt privileged to get to know her a bit through her blog, our emails, and this interview. For me, her story reads as an inspiration about how important our work as artists is to honoring and reconciling our intertwined identities of “dependent” and “independent”. Spoiler alert: Maria didn’t start painting until later in her life, but she now seems to be making up for lost time by practicing her art consistently and consciously building an artistic team of support.

Victoria Kelly is an author, a poet, and a military spouse. I had the great pleasure of meeting her when I lived in Virginia. She is warm, open, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Two of her recent publications are When the Men Go Off to War, a collection of poetry inspired by her experiences as a military wife, and Mrs. Houdini, a story blendingmagical realism and historical fiction about Bess, wife of the famous magician Harry Houdini. You can check out her website http://www.victoriakellybooks.com/ for more information about her work.