You can spot a piece of Kellie Day’s artwork long before you’re close enough to the canvas to see her signature.

Soft pastel shades and vibrant jewel tones come together to form lush bouquets, sweeping mountain vistas and striking portraits of animals.

“My northern light has always been creating art for me,” Day said. “There have been opportunities where companies asked me to start making art for their clients, and I could have earned a lot more money doing that, but I always had to make...