Vignette Portraits: Winter in Wimberly

Green boots by Nine Lives Texas

Vignette Portraits

by Nina A Padilla

I met Rae Deanna Collins (aka D.D.) and Tinsley (aka Drae) when I was in college and pregnant with my first born.

D.D. and I were both studying dance performance and choreography at Texas State University and she was creating a piece based off of her experience as a new mother for one of our choreography classes. Tinsley was just a wee sprout then and I was only weeks into my pregnancy at that point. We knew that I would be very pregnant and showing by the time the performance was scheduled to debut but that wasn't a problem as I was slated to portray a very pregnant D.D. in this piece.

Needless to say, the piece was beautiful and very well received as we danced to nothing but the sound of a fetal heart beat; relying on our well rehearsed timing and non verbal communication to tie everything together.

D.D. has since continued to create and nurture the mind of not only her daughter but the minds of young artists eager to learn the art of dance and movement as well when she was a teacher in Houston, Texas. Now, she is busy creating unique designs, styled wardrobe, and custom art in Wimberly, Texas with her daughter Tinsley who is also a budding artist. She is a creator of beauty and a champion of peace. A lover of Mother Earth and an advocate for all its inhabitants.

She also has a wicked eye for fashion and styled every look of this very fun photo shoot. Special thanks to Nine Lives Texas in Wimberly for the boots, sweater, and hats!

You can follow D.D. and all of her creations at:

Drae Designs and Wild Flower Sway by Drae