My Journey as an Artist – Emotional Portraits and Healing

My Journey as an Artist – Emotional Portraits and Healing

Ever since I was young, art has been more than just a passion — it’s been a lifeline.

Drawing faces, animals, and emotions became my way to feel free, to express what I couldn't always say with words. Every line I draw holds a piece of my own story — full of survival, resilience, and love for those who’ve been through pain and still stand tall.

I create realistic portraits of people and animals, and each one means something deeply personal. Some clients come to me to capture the spirit of a beloved pet. Others want a portrait of someone they love or lost. What connects all of us is the emotion behind the eyes. That’s what I focus on — not just how someone looks, but how their soul feels.

One of the deepest parts of my artistic journey is my connection to indigenous people, animals, and nature. I feel a spiritual bond when I draw them — like touching something ancient, wild, and sacred. To me, indigenous people carry the memory of what it means to live close to the earth, to respect life, and to honour spirit.

They’ve suffered through so much — colonisation, land loss, forced disconnection from their roots, and deep humiliation. Their strength, beauty, and survival are living testaments of something powerful: the soul’s ability to endure.

In my own life, I’ve faced similar wounds: family separation, loss, exile, and abuse. I know what it feels like to be ripped away from your home, to be silenced, and to rebuild yourself with shaking hands. That’s why I draw. That’s why I feel so close to those who’ve walked the hard road before me.

When I draw an indigenous woman, an eagle, a mustang, or a staffy, I’m drawing spirit. I’m honouring that raw connection to nature — the kind of divine presence that you experience, not one that sits in a book written by men.

To me, God isn’t a distant figure in the sky.
God is earth. God is soul. God is the deep breath of nature, the fire in survival, and the sacred bond between living beings. That’s what I try to show in my art.

Through Five Wonders Art, I want to share more than just drawings. I want to offer something honest, something soulful — a piece of hope, of truth, and of healing you can hold in your hands.

Whether it’s a powerful portrait of a Native woman, a noble eagle, or your loyal staffy, I pour my whole heart into the work.

This is more than a business.
It’s a journey of healing — for me, and maybe for you too.

Thank you for being part of it.
– Vera
Five Wonders Art

Honouring Soul Through Art

By Vera — Five Wonders Art

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Indigenous People Inspire Me

Their strength, their connection to nature, their spiritual wisdom — it moves something in me that I can’t explain in words, only through art.

When I draw a realistic portrait of an Indigenous person, I’m not just creating an image.
I’m honouring a whole history of survival, soul, and truth.

Especially here in Aotearoa, I feel a strong connection to Māori people and culture.
Their deep bond with the land, their respect for ancestors and traditions, and the pain they carry from colonisation and land loss — it touches my heart and reminds me of my own journey.

Like many Indigenous people, I too have known what it feels like to lose home, family, and safety.
I’ve experienced abuse, isolation, and being told to stay small.
I’ve felt the pain of being disconnected from my roots.

And yet, like them, I keep going. I keep standing. I keep creating.
That’s why I draw.

I want to show the dignity, beauty, and emotion of those who have been pushed down but never broken.
I want people to look at my portraits and feel something — not just see a face, but feel the soul behind it.

Indigenous people all over the world have gone through land theft, cultural erasure, forced silence, and humiliation.
Yet they continue to rise, protect their knowledge, speak their language, and live in connection with nature — something the modern world has almost forgotten.

In their eyes, I see wisdom.
In their expressions, I see stories untold.
And in their presence, I see a reflection of something sacred:
A truth that comes not from power, but from spirit.

When I draw these portraits, I feel close to that spirit.
It feels like prayer.
Like honour.
Like healing.

This post is my way of saying thank you to every Indigenous person — Māori, Native American, Aboriginal, African, Pacific, Siberian Russian — for carrying traditions the world tried to destroy.
You inspire my art and my heart.

And to those who want to see themselves or their ancestors captured in a portrait full of dignity, depth, and emotion — I would be honoured to draw you.

– Vera
Five Wonders Art

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The Spirit of Animals

Why I Draw Pets, Horses, Eagles and Their Souls

Animals have always spoken to my spirit in a quiet, powerful way.

When I draw them — whether it’s a horse running wild, an eagle watching the world from above, or a loyal pet sitting beside their person — I’m not just drawing fur or feathers.
I’m drawing freedom.
Soul.
Connection.

A kind of silent wisdom that comes from the heart, not the mind.

To me, animals are not “less than” people.
They’re pure beings.
They feel our emotions, protect us, carry our energy, and remind us who we truly are — wild, alive, and deeply connected to something greater.

Some people draw from imagination.
I draw from emotion.

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The Story of Grunt

I once heard a story that stayed with me ever since — about a dog named Crunt.
He was a strong, wide-shouldered Staffordshire who lived with my friend many years ago.

This dog wasn’t just a pet — he was a guardian, a brother, a true soul companion.

Grunt would sit quietly, licking his buttered bread with care, his eyes full of love and loyalty.
He could sense emotions before words were spoken.
He stood protectively between his owner and danger — not out of aggression, but out of pure devotion.

And even though Grunt passed away over thirty years ago,
he’s still in my friend’s heart.

That’s the power animals have.
They don’t just live beside us —
they live within us.

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That’s why I love to draw animals in a realistic, soulful style.
To me, a portrait of your pet isn’t just decoration — it’s a way to keep that connection alive.

It’s a way to honour the spirit of a friend who gave you everything,
who stayed by your side when others didn’t,
who knew your feelings without needing to speak.

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• When I draw eagles, I think of vision, strength, and truth.

• When I draw horses, I think of freedom, movement, and the soul’s wild journey.

• When I draw a beloved dog or cat, I think of loyalty, love, and the third eye bond that only animals and heart-open humans understand.

I believe those who truly loved their animal friends deserve a memory that lasts forever —
not just in mind, but in form.

A beautiful, detailed, hand-drawn portrait that captures more than appearance.
It captures their essence.

If you have a pet you loved — or still love —
I would be honoured to draw their soul for you.

– Vera
Five Wonders Art

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