Stroke by stroke, Anne Marie Speros-Mallon brings her latest painting to life. It's her labor of love that she says keeps her mother's memory alive.

"My art had been a part of me for the last 18 years," she said. "After my mother passed away from breast cancer, I learned through grief counseling that, in order to cope with the loss of my mom, I should start to find another outlet. My outlet was creativity."

Speros-Mallon's creative side originally began as an activity with her mother, Joan, when she would visit her at Calvary Hospital in The Bronx.

" They do recreational activities for the patients, if they are able," she explained. "One of the things that I did with my mom while she was there was painting ceramics. We would have so much fun, and I know she enjoyed it so much."

After her mother passed, Speros-Mallon's painting was simply a hobby.

"I started painting and had been gifting [pieces to] several friends, she said. "The moment someone would open a piece of my art, they would be so excited to have it displayed in their home."

It wasn't until last year that she finally took it to the next level, officially creating Joan's Heart Studio, named after her mom.

"I had been told that my prints would look great on textiles, and I learned that there is a platform for printing on demand [called] Zazzle," Speros-Mallon explained. "I opened a Zazzle shop, [which] has my artwork on several items [like] water bottles, invitations, yoga mats, tote bags [and] makeup bags. Folks were [then] asking, 'How can I buy the original art?' [From there,] I knew I should make this into an official business."

Since her business launched, Speros-Mallon not only sells her art, but also helps others through her Creative Wellness Workshops. It's a full-circle moment for her, teaching others the power of art that once helped her many years ago.

"I can tell my story [and] I can also give folks the platform to be able to make beautiful art, and they do," she explained. "I'm so truly impressed...It reduces stress. It brings joy. There's so much positivity that comes around art. It's always a great time. We have a lot of laughs."

After looking back at the past year alone, Speros-Mallon has seen a surge in popularity, even winning best artist for the 2025 Hudson Valley Magazine's Best of the Hudson Valley Awards. While she continues in her success, she knows she's achieved her No. 1 goal.

"In [my Greek Orthodox] faith, when someone passes, we say 'memory eternal,'" she explained. "The simple fact for me is I don't need to sell another piece of art. I don't need to do another workshop. I don't need to sell another Zazzle. My expectations have [been] exceeded in terms of my mother's name. When I look at the insights and analytics on my website, my mother's name has been mentioned thousands of times in the last year and a half. So, I am most proud of just keeping her memory [and] name alive."

Her mother would certainly be proud, too.

"It was something that brought her joy," Speros-Mallon said. "If she was here today to see this…she'd probably say, 'Give me a paintbrush. Let's do this.'"

Speros-Mallon's physical pieces can be found on Joan's Heart Studio's website, while printed items can be bought on her Zazzle shop.

For more information and to book one of her Creative Wellness Workshops, click here.