Meet Miriam - The Happy Artist
My
Story
Meet Miriam — the artist behind Minnie La La Designs
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I get my inspiration for my unique paintings from my surroundings. I have a deep connection with the outdoors and Mother Nature, spending much of my time walking, running, and gardening.
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I live with my husband, two children, a bearded dragon, and two cats in a small village set in the rolling hills of the beautiful Welsh borders.
Now, you may be wondering where the name Minnie La La comes from, so it is time to come clean. Minnie, is a nickname my family bestowed on me from the day I was born! The La La, is an addition given to me by my friends, from our dancing days in the nightclubs of London! Yes, I was that carefree, crazy person who let loose the moment the DJ cranked up the volume!
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Inspired by the Welsh countryside
My love of colour is evident throughout my work, and I am always searching the hedgerows for hidden jewels, tiny flashes of colour in nature that inspire new palettes and ideas.
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The ever-changing Welsh countryside fills my work with life: shifting skies, wild hedgerows, fresh green shoots, and glowing sunsets. Nature is my greatest teacher and constant inspiration.​
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The Happy Artist
I’m known as The Happy Artist, which is a fabulous accolade to have, because who doesn’t want to make people happier?
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But this name came from a deeply personal place.
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It was only through the devastating grief of losing my wonderful mum that I arrived here. When she died very suddenly from cancer, my grief was all-consuming. It felt as though my life had lost all meaning and all the joy and beauty in my world had vanished.
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Of course, this wasn’t true, I had a young, beautiful family to care for. But in order to navigate my grief, after flailing around, falling into big pits of despair, I had to find solace. I did this by connecting with the great outdoors, which offered me comfort and hope.
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Finding beauty again
After spending time walking and running in all kinds of weather, I slowly began to notice the changing of the seasons again, the colours of leaves, seeds pushing fresh green shoots through the soil, cloud shapes, sunsets and sunrises, new moons and full moons, stars scattered across the sky.
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Little by little, I began to see beauty in the world again.
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And with that came memories of the wonderful years I had shared with my mother. I realised just how lucky I had been to have such a fabulous mum.
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Instead of only feeling the sadness of losing her, I began to feel the joy and love she had given me.
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How painting began
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It was then that I began to paint.
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At first, I painted because I didn't have the language to express my feelings. The movement and flow of the paint expressed visually the emotions my heart couldn't voice. Painting and nature helped me to discover joy again.
That journey is still at the heart of everything I create today.
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Why I share my story
I’m deeply passionate about sharing my story of grief, healing, and rediscovery of purpose, to help others reconnect with nature, creativity, and themselves.
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Through my work, I hope to create spaces where people can:
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Reconnect with the natural world
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Explore their creativity freely through flow and play
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Find joy and more magic in everyday life
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Because sometimes beauty is still there, we just need help seeing it again.
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Why not meet Miriam at one of her health and wellbeing workshops?