Mixed media on 8×10” wood cradled panel, 3/4” thick with blue green painted sides.

SANCTUARY

High in the hills of Sun Valley, my grandparents built their 1960s dream home—complete with a “J”-shaped pool (for Jackman, our last name) and a sweeping view of flights arriving and departing from the Burbank Airport. My grandpa, a true travel enthusiast, loved watching people take off to faraway places, dreaming about exotic destinations. From the 1960s through the late ‘90s, my grandparents traveled around the world—and I do mean the entire world.

This house, now owned by my aunt and uncle, holds some of my fondest memories. As an only child and before my cousins came along, I turned it into my own personal treasure hunt, discovering intricate masks and spears from Africa, toy soldiers from England, and elegant linens and place settings from France. My grandma, Virginia, was an incredible watercolor artist, and when she babysat me, we’d do art projects together or I’d watch art lessons on PBS while she painted in her studio. She was also the family historian, keeping detailed sketchbooks of their travels—books I’m lucky enough to have inherited and often revisit.

My grandpa worked at Disney Studios for almost 40 years and even had a hand in hiring the Sherman Brothers (of Mary Poppins fame)! Virginia and Bob both loved to entertain, so the house was often filled with Disney legends playing the piano, singing songs, and even drawing characters on dinner napkins…I just thought everyone’s family was like that!

This view is from their bedroom balcony, the starting point of so many of their incredible adventures. Looking back, I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without their passion for travel, art, and storytelling. Their love for the world shaped my own, and this painting is my way of honoring that legacy.