Jocelyn Bennett Design

10/11/2026

Art I ❤️: Mary Jane Ruhnke

A close up of “What the Drought Taught Me to Notice”. This work came from realizing that sometimes hardship does not erase softness, it teaches us how to recognize it.

In this painting, a fawn and dove rest together in a dry, thorny landscape, finding comfort in one another despite the harshness around them. I created this work as a reflection of how connection can become its own refuge, and how even the most unforgiving places can be made tender by the presence of another gentle soul.

Mixed media work is created on 24”x12”x1.5” canvas. The original and limited edition prints are available for this special work. 🤎 🩶

Shop: www.MaryJeanRuhnke.com

10/11/2026

I don’t know what in the Howard Johnson’s is going on with that roofline, but I am here for it! 💯

10/10/2026

I love everything about this! 🫶

10/10/2026

Swoon!! I vote all of the above!

09/21/2026

This is a drool-worthy MCM! 🤤

09/21/2026

Wowsers! I love everything about this home! 🫶

09/21/2026

Be still my beating heart! I’m in Bath, UK, today fawning over fan vaults inside Bath Abbey! 😻

09/07/2026

My new fave house! 🙌

09/07/2026

Wow. Wow. Wow. 🤯

09/07/2026

Art I ❤️: Mary Jean Ruhnke

“Leafy Lullaby: Sleeping in Nature’s Embrace” was created during a season of motherhood that felt especially heavy for me.

At the time, my son was in pre-k4 and undergoing testing for behavioral concerns. I carried so many questions, worries, and emotions quietly, and often felt very alone with them.

Painting these peaceful, sleeping animals became a way for me to soften my own anxiety while continuing to pour love into him. I began hiding his little toys throughout the scenery. They are tiny pieces of his then world tucked among the leaves, creatures, and foliage.

There was something comforting about preserving that moment in his childhood inside a painting. Almost as if I could hold that season gently, instead of only remembering how difficult it felt.

When I look at this work now, I don’t just see sleeping animals. I see my son. I see the little boy he was. And I see a mother trying to create peace around something she couldn’t yet understand.

Limited edition prints are available for this comforting work. 🧡 (link below)

https://maryjeanruhnke.com/products/leafy-lullaby-sleeping-in-natures-embrace-limited-edition-fine-art-print?_pos=1&_sid=6eddfe82b&_ss=r