Message from the Artist: We must believe. I recently listened to Light Watkins’ thoughts about the untimely loss of so many black lives… too young with too much potential. Light mentions that Maya Angelou’s early life included drugs and a strip club and Malcolm X spent time in prison for burglary. They did what they did then came upon the time/place/inspiration to become who they were meant to be in the world. Empowering themselves then others, creating change. They transformed. If we judge them by their early situations, we would be sorry. We must believe that those around us can rise to their next level of greatness, and that we can, as well.

A dark haired mother and her big children, son and daughter, sister and brother, are learning to love and let go. To let the giant butterflies fly away. We must have faith that our children were born with their greatness coded into them, they are not blank slates, but are designed for something big. We guide them, we nurture them, we trust and honor them, then we get out of their way. That piece of life is hard for me, and it is a part of life that I am stepping into right now – my boys are becoming who they are meant to be. I am detaching myself from the control I have had for over 15 years. The world does not revolve around us, but goes on without us.

Children grow, things change, all without our help, hoping or wishing. It’s not easy. We want to feel necessary, needed, relied upon. We want to feel like it all happens because of us, and that our personal earth turns on its axis because we are there to keep it from falling. But life has its own plans. Alexandra Stoddard says that two of the most common fears of mothers are 1) I’ll die, and 2) something awful will happen to my child.

Well, she says, we WILL die. So there’s no surprise there. And two, if something DOES happen to our child, God forbid, we need to be strong, centered, capable of handling it. We will be brave. We will be brave when we send our children out into the world, because they need to see us as brave, so that they can be brave. We must believe that they will do the right things, mostly, and that their mistakes won’t define them. They may find themselves in a strange time & place just as many of those we admire did. We must believe that life will take them on their ideal journey.

A print from the Wild Tenderness Collection.

Looking for something a little different? Choose an Embellished Print to personalize eye color and/or hair color accents or Contact Katie if you can't find what you are looking for. See more details below.

In the CHOOSE PRINT SIZE box above, select:

~a Hand-Embellished & Signed Art Print (not available with all images)
~a Signed Art Print on Paper
~or a Stretched Canvas Art Print

All prints are created from original Katie m. Berggren paintings. Learn more about types of prints below.

Types of Art Prints:

Your Art Print will be created onto premium-quality heavyweight paper with an 8-ink process for vibrant, fade-proof color that illuminates YOUR space. Your smooth matte Archival Print will be hand-signed and carefully packaged for safe travels into your hands. I use archival materials so your ready-to-frame artwork will have 100+ beautiful years to inspire tender memories and touch hearts. Even when mom says she doesn't want anything, she may yearn for recognition of her motherhood journey.

Prints 12x12 or smaller are bagged to ship in a sturdy mailer, the title of the Art Print is written on the backing board. Most Art Prints have a small 1/8-inch border and fit standard frames. THICK MARGIN and EMBELLISHED Prints have 3/4-inch borders.

••Hand-Embellished and Signed Art Prints••

A 12x12 Thick Margin Print is hand-accented with paint for brush-stroke texture. I take your print to my clean work table and add an artist’s touch to make your embellished Art Print one-of-a-kind and collectible. I autograph the front and sign and date the back of your Embellished print. Your print is then packaged in an acid free bag with a backing board, and gift wrapped before shipping in a sturdy mailer.

An Embellished Print allows for eye color changes, or color accents added to hair. I can darken or lighten hair, or add some facial hair, all with paint. I can even add names or dates, written with fine marker. Provide notes at check-out if you'd like your Embellished Print personalized with eye or hair color adjustments.

Allow 1 day before shipping, for creation and drying time.

SEE SAMPLES OF EMBELLISHED PRINTS