"New Beginnings" with Mika Harmony and Chrystel Boissy

Mika Harmony grew up in Hawaii. Her idyllic childhood was spent splashing in the ocean and covering giant sheets of butcher paper with markers. From a young age, she was exposed to the world of art: her dad was a songwriter and her mom a photographer. As a young teen, her family moved to Los Angeles but the city wasn’t her style. At 16, she moved back to Maui by herself.

Her love of nature has been central throughout her life. Before becoming a full-time artist, Harmony spent many years working at the Nature Conservancy, which influenced and deepened her interest in naturalistic art. In 2013, after much soul searching, Harmony decided to pursue art full time.

Not one to dabble, Harmony threw herself into art – creating, experimenting, and marketing. As a result, she has grown tremendously, both artistically and professionally. Her art has flourished from small scale cards with single subjects into large scale works with complex themes. Her art has become “a whole world on a page,” as Harmony says.

Harmony only paints when she’s feeling happy and positive, an energy you can feel in her pieces. It’s no wonder her works are collected worldwide. She was even picked to be a featured artist for New York Comic Con and the Teen Choice Awards!

Chrystel Boissy, founder of Green Touch Moss, creates stunning, dimensional landscapes using moss and other natural materials. Boissy discovered the medium on a trip to her partner’s hometown of Lyons, France. After seeing the pieces, Boissy couldn’t get it out of her mind. This art medium brought the outdoors inside. After experimenting to learn the necessary techniques, Boissy now creates miniature natural worlds that bring the zen of the outdoors inside for others.

Boissy also works as a travelling nurse, often travelling long distances across California. After her long days, she uses her art to unwind and relax. The sense of zen she gets from creating her pieces is the same feeling she wants to impart to her viewers.

Even her cats, Boubou and Baba, feel Boissy’s sense of zen! Normally, they pounce and play with everything. Everything, that is, except Boissy’s moss. They are often found sitting in front of Boissy’s art, quietly admiring it.