Alexandria Klardie Mota
Surrendered.
Redeemed. Sent.
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."
Isaiah 61:3
Hi, I'm Alexandria. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember. Without any formal training, I simply picked up a pencil and began creating. For years, drawing was deeply personal, a way to express emotions I didn't always have words for. Although those around me recognized it as a gift, I kept it hidden, never realizing how God intended to use it.
Everything changed in 2022. The Lord began leading me into a season of healing, restoring places in my heart I had kept closed for years. Throughout my life He had spoken to me through dreams, visions, mental images, and quiet moments with Him, but I was only beginning to recognize His voice and understand what He was doing.
One image continually returned to me: a dove leaving an open cage. I knew it wasn't just a picture. It was an invitation.
As I brought my brokenness before the Lord, He met me with His love, restored my heart, and simply said,
I began the drawing, but I couldn't finish it for months. Looking back, I realize God wasn't waiting on the artwork, He was working on me. As He continued healing me, He was also teaching me who I was in Him and inviting me to trust His voice.
Then one day He spoke again.
I worked until it was complete. The following morning, He impressed something unexpected on my heart:
I had never printed my artwork before, but I obeyed. Later that same day, a women's recovery home visited our church. I carried those prints with me, not knowing why. One by one, I placed a drawing into each woman's hands and spoke identity over her, the same identity the Father had been restoring in me. Only afterward did I realize I had printed the exact number needed.
That day marked the beginning of Art From The Ashes. What began as God restoring my own heart became a calling to help others encounter His love through art.
How Each Piece Begins
Today, every drawing begins the same way, with worship, prayer, and time spent in His presence. I don't approach a blank page looking only for something beautiful to create; I begin by listening.
Sometimes God speaks through a mental picture. Sometimes through a dream, an open vision, Scripture, or a quiet revelation during prayer. At other times He reveals the meaning first and then gives me the image to draw. Every piece has its own journey, but each one is created from a place of partnership with Him.
Because of that, no drawing is simply an illustration.
Every piece carries a story. Every piece is an act of worship. Every piece is an invitation to pause, listen, and encounter God.
Most drawings take anywhere from nine to more than forty-five hours to complete, but the greatest reward has never been finishing the artwork. It's watching what God does through it. Time after time, people receive these drawings with tears, sharing how they felt seen, encouraged, or reminded of God's love. Years later, many still tell me they look at them every day.
Those moments remind me why I create.
The name Art From The Ashes was born from my own story of restoration. God met me in places of brokenness, healed what I thought would always remain wounded, and taught me who I truly was. Today, that name has become something even greater. It represents the hope that God continues to bring beauty from ashes, not only in my life, but in the lives of everyone He touches.
More than anything else, my prayer is that every person who encounters my artwork encounters the love of God. If someone walks away remembering nothing about me, but leaves knowing they are seen, deeply loved by the Father, and invited closer to Him, then every hour spent creating has been worth it.
