Hi friends! Welcome to the final month of 2025! I don’t know what highs and lows you experienced this year but I am so grateful to be connected with you here at the end of the year. This month’s story is pretty unique. I hope it inspires you!
Back in October 2023, I received a message on Instagram from a lady named Erin who had been introduced to my work by her friend, Tracy. This was my first time receiving a commission inquiry via social media from someone I didn’t know, and at first, I was unsure if it was a scam message. Thankfully, I did not have to be so concerned because Erin was genuinely interested and a lovely person to get to know!
Erin and I shared a love for skies and she was drawn to my Tiny Expanses collection. She asked if I might be able to create some tinies for her to give as Christmas gifts as well as some others for her to keep for herself.
As our conversation progressed, we decided that I would complete 3 two-inch square pieces for her before Christmas to give away and another 3 in the new year, along with an 8”x10” painting of Pike’s Peak in Colorado for her own collection.
Since Erin loved photographing sunsets, she sent me a selection of images to choose from for the tiny paintings. The image for the larger one was of a personally significant moment and also her own photo. It worked out really well because her photos had similar colours which made the paintings look really nice all together.
“Hope Endures” was the title I gave to this larger piece because Erin had shared with me how the mountain glowing under the storm clouds spoke to her of hope. My wish is that this painting would always remind her of Hope’s presence and that she is loved, regardless of what life’s circumstances might be.
For someone to commission me to create paintings for them, a certain level of trust is required. For that person to only know me from my online profile, the trust needed is even greater. I don’t take for granted the risk Erin was taking in asking me to create this series for her. And she was in the US while I was in Canada!
After the project was over, Erin said, “I could not have found a better person for this project! I am so in love with the paintings! They bring me joy and you did an amazing job! Thank you, Olive. They are even more beautiful in person!” The joy was mutual, truly.
I chose to end this year’s calendar with “Hope Endures” since the snow-capped mountains remind me of winter. When I put the calendar design together last year, I wouldn’t know how appropriate this piece would be for this particular month. 2025 has been a challenging year for many of us (and most of the world, it feels like!) so it feels right to remember as we enter the final month of this year that hope does indeed endure.
For those with the Scripture calendar:
I paired this month’s painting with the verse from 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV) which reads, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” As we enter Advent and move toward Christmas, may we focus on these things that truly matter. I hope that this verse can help to re-center us within the whirlwind of activities, parties, and gift giving.
Questions for reflection, if you want to go deeper: If hope is the mountain beneath the storm clouds, what is your hope based on or made of? Take a moment to connect with that sense of hope and allow it to steady you as we enter this final (busy) month of the year.
If you enjoyed this post and want to read a monthly art story, remember to sign up so future posts get delivered to your email! While this is the final post for this year, I will begin anew in January where we will be hearing the stories behind each month’s painting in my 2026 art calendar. My subscribers also get occasional perks like exclusive previews and discounts. (Add me to your contacts list or you might need to check your promotions or junk folders if you don’t see the email.)
As always, I love to hear from you! If something in this story resonated with you, if you’re interested in commissioning a painting, or if you have other thoughts, feel free to email or connect with me on Facebook or Instagram. Thanks for being part of my journey and for letting me be a part of yours!