Hello my artist family!
I am so honored to introduce you to today’s featured artist, Claudia Mendoza from Fruita, Colorado. Her story is one of incredible strength, resilience, and the kind of creativity that doesn’t just make art — it carries you through life’s hardest moments.
Claudia shared that she has always loved color — in her wardrobe, in her home, and everywhere around her. That love eventually led her to painting about 12 years ago, simply as a way to play and experience the joy that color brings.
But her journey took a profound turn when she was diagnosed with MS just one week after turning 54.
After living a very active, outdoorsy life and spending 35 years as a critical care nurse, everything changed. She was suddenly faced with losing the ability to stand, walk, and continue the life she had always known. And yet, in the middle of that life-altering shift, Claudia made a powerful decision — she chose to create.
She transformed her dining room into a studio and began teaching herself to paint from home. Acrylics, oils, watercolors — she explored it all, guided by her love of color and her desire to find joy again. And I just love that image so much… a dining room turned creative sanctuary. Priorities, right?
Like many artists, Claudia experienced a time where she felt stuck and unmotivated. But then something beautiful happened — she came across my Let’s Dabble video and watched the First Five. That spark came rushing back. She joined, fell in love with the process, the texture, and the joy of painting again, and eventually became a lifetime member. And as she said, she hasn’t looked back since.
What inspires Claudia most is exactly what you might expect from someone who loves color so deeply — beautiful landscapes and the vibrancy of the world around her. And you can feel that inspiration come alive in her work.
The painting she chose to share is especially meaningful — a commissioned piece she created during her very first year, and the largest canvas she had tackled at that point. There is something so powerful about stepping into something bigger than you think you’re ready for… and then realizing you absolutely are.
Claudia told me one of the things she loves most about DabblePaints™ is “the intensity of color and the creaminess,” and that the jars are easy for her to open. That last part really stayed with me. Because art should be accessible. It should meet you where you are. And hearing that it’s helping her continue to create means more than I can say.
When it comes to what she enjoys most about painting, it’s clear that this is so much more than just a hobby for her. Painting has become her therapy — something that has helped her through dark days, lifted her spirits, and given her a renewed sense of purpose.
And then there’s her advice, which I think every single one of us needs to hear:
“Just go for it. We all tend to be very critical of our own work. Put a painting away for a few weeks and revisit it… then it’s like, wow, I can’t believe I painted that.”
Isn’t that the truth? Sometimes we just need a little space to see our own growth.
There was one moment Claudia shared that truly touched me. A friend purchased one of her paintings and told her, “God took so much away from you with the MS, but in return, God gave you such a gift.”
That kind of perspective… it’s powerful. And it speaks so clearly to what Claudia is doing — turning something incredibly difficult into something that brings joy into other people’s homes.
Claudia, thank you for sharing your story, your heart, and your beautiful work with all of us. You are an inspiration to this entire artist family, and a reminder that creativity can carry us through even the hardest seasons.
Keep creating, keep shining, and keep bringing more beauty into the world.
XO,
Jen
