How they turn everyday life, travel, and emotion into Abstract Art | Patricia Steinmann-Britt, Jenna Deibel, and Annika Freiberger

There’s something about talking to artists that stays with you. It’s not just about their paintings or colour choices—it’s how they talk about everyday life, the quiet shifts in life, and the emotional messiness that somehow ends on canvas. When we spoke with Patricia Steinmann-Britt, Jenna Deibel, and Annika Freiberger, one thing immediately became clear: none set out to build a perfect art career. They weren’t following a plan. They were following a feeling that showed up during significant life changes, quiet moments, or standing in front of a blank canvas after a long break.

What they shared with us wasn’t just about art techniques or finished work. It was about making room for something that had been waiting. Each of them returned to painting-or found it for the first time—at a moment when life felt full, uncertain, or in transition. And instead of pushing through or putting it off, they leaned in.

We learned that creating doesn’t always involve a grand idea. Sometimes, it’s more about noticing what’s happening around you—kids growing up, light falling through trees, old memories resurfacing—and deciding to do something with it.

Their journey is really about: trying, starting again, making a little space, following a thought or a feeling to see where it leads. Whether it’s through the chaos of parenting, the quiet of nature, or the pull to express something you can’t quite name, these women are finding their way forward through the act of making.

After hearing their stories, we thought: maybe that’s what creating is for most of us—not a straight path or a big leap, but a way to keep moving, stay honest, and make a little more sense of it all.

Patricia Steinmann-Britt: Letting Travel and Nature Guide the Way

Patricia, who goes by Pastbritt in the art world, returned to painting after years spent raising her children. That pause wasn’t the end of her creative spirit; it needed a quieter time to gather strength. When she picked up the brush again, reconnecting with an old friend was like reconnecting.

Her work plays with layers and texture, drawing inspiration from the outdoors and her travels. Some pieces carry deeply personal meaning, like a painting tied to her daughter’s childhood. Others explore the feelings that come with life’s transitions—those in-between spaces where change and growth quietly unfold.

“The urge to paint again arose from a need to express the emotions and ideas that had evolved during motherhood,” she says. Through her pieces, you can feel her exploring movement, color, and memory—letting landscapes around the world blend into something new.

I believe that when working with others, the creative process can evolve in unexpected and exciting ways.

To learn more about Patricia, click on the links below.

Jenna Deibel: Painting Through the Chaos of Motherhood and Identity

Jenna’s work doesn’t require your attention—it pulls you right in. Raised in Tucson and trained in Interior Design, her journey into art came through motherhood. She began exploring different media while watching her children create, turning their playful freedom into something of her own.

Now based in Georgia and running Jenna Deibel Studios, she creates mixed-media works that dive into the experiences of being a woman, raw, layered, and honest. One of her standout pieces, Milk Drunk, captures a messy, intimate, and beautiful moment that every mother knows. Her art, she says, is a space where she pours her emotions, processes change, and speaks the truths that often go unsaid.

“Motherhood brought a flood of emotions,” she shares. “From the changes in my body to shifts in my identity—these feelings poured onto the canvas and continue to fuel my work.”

Jenna’s goal? She wants to create in every city she lives in, drawing inspiration from the women and cultures around her. Through her murals and studio pieces, she opens conversations about identity, resilience, and self-trust.

My work is a testament to the fluidity between my role as a mother and my identity as an artist. It reflects the evolving and often unplanned narratives of my and women’s lives everywhere.

To learn more about Jenna, visit the links below.

Annika Freiberger: Letting Colour and Movement Lead

Annika’s approach is all about letting things happen. Based in Germany, she studied both fine arts and philosophy, and you can feel that thoughtful background in how she speaks about her work. Her abstract pieces capture the motion of life itself: rivers moving, trees swaying, things coming apart and coming back together.

She intuitively layers media and colour, following each piece’s flow instead of forcing it. Inspiration comes from long walks in nature and quiet observations, like how shadows shift in the forest or how sunlight filters through the trees.

“It’s often about the things that concern or stress us,” Annika says. But rather than pushing those things away, she works with them. Her canvases are a place to feel and accept whatever’s happening, even when uncomfortable.

Her art is in motion—twisting, falling, coming undone, and then finding shape again—much like life.

I work very intuitively and am inspired by the underlying level. What I am particularly interested in formally are the flow of color, the diversity of brush strokes and the play with transparency and opaqueness.

To learn more about Annika, click on the links below.

What connects Patricia, Jenna, and Annika isn’t a shared medium or subject—it’s their honest approach to making. They don’t create from a place of perfection or certainty. They create because something inside them asks to be seen.

They’ve each worked through doubt. They’ve each balanced motherhood, career shifts, and self-discovery. And they’ve each figured out a way to stay curious, to let life shape the canvas, and to keep going even when things feel messy.

For anyone who’s ever put something aside for “later” or felt unsure about starting something new, these stories are for you. They’re about what happens when you say yes to that quiet pull inside and begin.

After hearing from these women, it’s clear that art isn’t always about bold declarations or grand visions. Sometimes, it’s about small, steady moments: letting the paint dry, sitting with an idea, and trying again the next day.

Patricia, Jenna, and Annika remind us that creativity doesn’t need a perfect plan. It needs space, patience, and the willingness to show up. Their journeys aren’t just about making things—they’re about being present, staying open, and trusting that something honest can come out of the chaos.

And in a world that often tells us to move faster or figure it all out, maybe that’s the story we need most.

Stay tuned to the Women in Arts Network for more stories amplifying diverse, powerful contemporary art voices. Visit our website and follow us on Instagram.