Army spouse Christy Tremblay’s mixed-media art is the perfect metaphor for a multi-textured, multi-layered military life. As mil-spouses, we often don’t know where life is taking us next as we evolve with each new place and experience, and all of those unexpected places and experiences become layers that shape us into the people we never …
Hello again! It’s been about a year since my original interview with MilspoFAN, and to be honest, my artwork took a backseat to a lot of other things in 2018. But the new year always feels like a fresh start and I have at least one big development that I’m especially excited about. …
This December as the winter weather descends, what better way to spend an evening than wrapped up in a blanket and a tale of romance? Elizabeth Ann West is an author and former military spouse who writes charming Jane Austin fan fiction and variations. Elizabeth talks with us about how her work and life as …
Greetings from South Korea! When I last chatted with all of you I was about a month away from our huge international relocation, and now we’ve been here for almost 10 months. Half of me feels like the time has flown by, but the other half spent a few months of the summer feeling …
Hello MilspoFANs! With November coming to a close, the season of the Nutcracker Ballet is upon us! One of my favorite activities for the past three years has been taking my young daughter to see our local dance company’s production of The Nutcracker Ballet. I’m looking forward to making this an annual tradition because we …
Hi all! I know it’s been a year since you last heard from me. A lot has changed for my family and I since I last updated you all. So, here it all goes. Last year I around this time of the year I decided to start focusing on myself. I realized that I had …
Not long after the interview last year, my husband made the decision to retire from the Air Force with twenty-six and one-half years of service. Being the spouse of a service member provides so many blessings, but I am also very excited to establish myself locally for longer than one assignment lasts. Online presence …
Leigh Cortez is an art student-turned-artillery-soldier-turned-milspouse-and-tattoo-artist-turned-MFA-student-turned-artist. Her bold and compelling work is layered with autobiographical meaning. With her paintings, Leigh invites a dialogue both within the military community and with “outsiders” exploring modern military life, tradition, trauma, unpredictability, and belonging. Leigh’s thoughtful descriptions of her work and process, as well as her candid story about …
It has been two years since my first Military Spouse Fine Art Network interview. I continue to paint every day and constantly stretch the boundaries of my abilities. I belong to a group of four mentor/friends that travel together and show our art at different venues. We have been to Waterworks Art Museum in …
Since my October 2017 MilspoFAN interview, I (miraculously) didn’t PCS. Previously, we had never made it to the three-year mark, but we found out in March that we’ll be stationed in North Carolina for at least another two years. No switching doctors, school, vet, etc. No finding another surf instructor for my daughter, someone who …