Brita Vija Brookes

I was happy to have 2 watercolors in the Sanibel-Captiva Arts League's winter exhibition at the Bailey Homestead gallery. I submitted a watercolor study of a Roseate Spoonbill and a Great Egret.

2025 was the high reunion year for me and also my school's 80th anniversary. I have to say the reunion was amazing and I got to see so many of my classmates. I also reunited with my fellow swim team and we took a group photo. The best part of the weekend was re-igniting friendships and seeing how well everybody was doing. Here's a few highlights! Mercy High School was where I was able to explore and start a good foundation for my arts and design career. With amazing faculty -

I continue to work on my health in body, mind, and spirit. 2025 was filled with US Masters Swimming meets, Florida family visits and Northern Michigan outdoor adventures - all embracing nature and wellness.

I applied for a small projects grant from the Latvian Foundation to create a book I have been working on in my mind about a Crow. The application was intense, but I got it done and I am happy to say I am one of 13 people to receive a grant to complete my project! I have until April 2027 to complete the writing, translation and around 25 watercolors by me for the book. It's a work of love and I have set milestones to stay on track. I set up a small watercolor studio area on my

My 2026 goal to embrace my foundation in fine arts continues and it's been one of the best things to happen. I have a new painting studio space set up in my basement and its a huge mental health mood booster - even when I get frustrated painting, it still gets my mind into a tactile non-AI world and I can envision a scene and work on it to capture a place I love or a creature I adore. Here are some scenes I painted of the Port Oneida Farm in the Sleeping Bear Dunes region of

As I set some new resolutions for 2026, I started early and decided to revive my fine arts roots and love for watercolors. I joined a few arts leagues and have already had works accepted into local art exhibitions. The camaraderie of being in an arts group has been inspiring and energizing. Here's a few samples of the new nature and landscape inspired artworks by me lately!

As an Ally and member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), I had the opportunity to be accepted as a...