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Jo Ann has merged her passion for art with parenting Maya, her daughter with Down syndrome and autism. When Maya began school, Jo Ann started putting drawings in her lunch box each day. At first, the sketches were simply a way to remind Maya that her mom was thinking about her as well as an opportunity for the artist to practice her drawing skills each day.

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“As a mother to a child with disabilities, I didn't have the time I wanted to devote to creating my art. I saw the lunch box napkins as an opportunity to practice drawing,” Jo Ann explains. “Early on, every morning while Maya was eating breakfast, I challenged myself to create a little work of art to send with her to school. Now that the art is more complex, each work takes more time.”

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As the years passed, the drawings became much more, a special connection between mother and daughter that documented special moments and milestones found in everyday activities. They took on an inspirational quality that resulted in the “Happiness Is…” series, which culminated in a solo gallery show. Later, other themes emerged as Maya’s interests blossomed, and the two explored different countries, cultures, art, and extraordinary people. While the drawings are personal and have meaning for Maya and Jo Ann, they also have the universal messages that whimsy can be found in the ordinary, challenges can lead to achievement, and learning can be fun.

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Merging her art and parenting has allowed Jo Ann to share Maya’s life with the world. “I believe that depicting Maya’s accomplishments and adventures speaks to others and encourages them to see her as a genuine person who wants to interact with society and have a happy, meaningful life. People look at Maya as different simply because they don’t know how to approach her. If they learn that she, as with all children who have special needs, feels the same emotions they do, they can accept her differences while appreciating what we all have in common.” 

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Briseño’s goal is to break down the social barriers that keep children with disabilities from being fully accepted in society by sharing Maya’s stories so that others can see she’s a person who wants to be included and loved, just as we all do. The artist’s work is deeply rooted in bringing people together and creating connections.