“The desire to reach for the stars is ambitious. The desire to reach hearts is wise.”
- Maya Angelou
My Story
Hi! I’m Forida Soriano, the artist behind Autumn Poppy Creations. Autumn Poppy began as a creative outlet during a season of life when I needed something that was just for me. I started making little handmade bookmarks simply because I kept using grocery store receipts and junk mail as my bookmarks. Then I just loved creating them. One small project led to another, and before I knew it, that little creative outlet had grown into a little art business.
Today, I love creating all kinds of things. Some days I’m painting flowers. Some days I’m making bookmarks late at night. Other days I’m painting a bride and groom or working on an idea I’ve never tried before. I think that’s one of my favorite things about being an artist—the freedom to keep learning, experimenting, and following whatever sparks my creativity.
Being a mom is a big part of my life, too. Much of my creating happens after the kids are in bed, in those quiet little pockets of time when I can finally sit down and make something. It may not always be glamorous, but I love that this business has grown alongside my family and become something they can be excited about with me.
I don’t think art always has to be serious or perfectly meaningful. Sometimes it can simply be something pretty that makes you smile. Sometimes it captures a memory or a feeling. And sometimes it’s just the joy of making something.
That’s what I hope Autumn Poppy can be—a little place for beauty, creativity, nostalgia, joy, and things made with love.
I’m so glad you’re here, and I hope you’ll stay awhile.
With love,
Forida
How My Live Wedding Painting Journey Began
My journey into live wedding painting began with a very special request from my sister-in-law. She asked if I would paint a picture of her and her husband during their first dance as a surprise wedding gift. She had a favorite photo, but wanted a more meaningful background. I felt so honored and appreciative that she had the faith in me to do something so important.
That first painting opened the door to a whole new kind of creating for me. I discovered how much I love capturing the feeling of a wedding day — the little details, the atmosphere, and those fleeting moments that happen so quickly but become part of a couple's story.
After that, the idea of live wedding painting was stuck in my mind. I loved the thought of being able to capture a couple's wedding day as it was happening, but I honestly had no idea how someone even gets started doing something like that, or if I would even be good at it!
Then a friend gave me the opportunity I needed.
She listened to my story and reached out to some of her friends who were getting married. They were kind enough to let me come and try it at their weddings, giving me the chance to experience what it was actually like to paint a wedding day in real time.
Those first weddings were such an important part of my journey. I was nervous about having to paint in front of people and under a time limit, but honestly, once the brush hit the canvas, the nerves melted away and I knew then that it was really what I wanted to do.
I'm so grateful for those first opportunities and for the people who helped open that door for me. What started with a simple request, a little curiosity, and a thoughtful friend has grown into one of my favorite things I get to create.
Fun Facts
I tend to drop the canvas or the easel gets blown down (I’m clumsy but don’t worry, the painting is always in good shape!) so I once contemplated changing my business name to “Fallen Easel”
I LOVE fruits, even the ones people say stink (durian). I once went hunting for pawpaws because I really wanted to taste it. If I wasn’t an artist, I would be an exotic fruit taster lol
I love zoos. For my 40th birthday, I took a trip to the nation’s largest zoo — Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo in Nebraska. I can watch orangutans all day.
Fall is my favorite season in the midwest. When I drive around in the fall, I’ll sing about the pretty colors. I once cried on the perfect Autumn drive when the leaves were falling and the moment was like a Hallmark movie scene. I never had an actual Fall in California.
My algorithm consists of true crime, strange & unique fruits, art, the deep sea, and bunnies. Oh! and perimenopause lol
“Creativity takes courage.”
- Henri Matisse