Many people think that California is just Los Angeles and San Francisco. Most don't know that a lot of California is actually farmland. During my earliest childhood years, I lived in one of the rural farmland areas of California. Those years were the happiest of my life! My family and I had three pet goats, ducks to live in our front yard pond, a Dalmatian, and two bunnies. Our 3.5 acre property was right across the street from the school we attended. Our friends were always coming over! My grandpa who's from Louisiana lived with us and helped my mom maintain our land. At recess sometimes, I would walk to the very edge of the field at school to wave to my grandpa, who'd be outside trimming our trees or mowing the yard. My very best friend lived right down the road. She had two horses, and a backyard barn where her kittens played at. She also had three sisters, which I was so jealous of since I have two brothers. I lived with their family one summer, which was super fun! My older brother and I would ride our bikes together past fields of meadows to go visit our friends. Even though we were just 6 and 7 years old, the area we lived in was so safe that our mom let us go places together on our own. It was deep, deep in the country. To even get to the road that we lived on, you had to drive for over 20 minutes going past nothing but fields. At night there would be coyotes. We saw so many stars every night since we were so far from the city. I loved it. Living those formative years in the true countryside inspired my values and what I find beautiful. To me, the most simple things in life are what's most beautiful. Flowers, nature, animals, and love! My mother and her family are from Texas, right along the border of Arkansas. I was raised with Southern values and feel so proud that I got to experience country living at a young age. When photographing my clothing line, I like to invoke the beauty of nature, the countryside, and simplicity. I hope you all find it beautiful as well. ♡
- Tayma