"I knew inside of me that I wanted this location," she says. "The same day I saw it, I signed the papers."

The internationally acclaimed artist relocated to historic downtown Campbell in March 1999, and she hasn't looked back since.

"There is no cliquishness in Campbell," says Bruni. "All races and colors come to Campbell and this gallery. We see people of the world here. I love it."

Sablan is known by her professional name Bruni.

The gallery also houses her studio, a small but spiritual space, which allows her artistic feelings to flourish. Around 10:30 p.m. or 11 p.m. each night she begins work in her studio, sometimes staying until 4 a.m., "depending on my state of mind," Bruni says. "I'm a night person anyway."

While in the studio, Bruni compares her artistic process to that of a method actor. In her painting method, she immerses herself into the subject and tries to bring out the passion of the moment. She says it isn't unusual that she will cry and feel strong emotions take control during those sessions.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Gray Touching the Soul: In Bruni's portrait of jazz vocalist Bessie Smith, Bruni's emotions about the life of the young singer are captured on the canvas. She considers the painting her Mona Lisa of the Jazz Masters Series collection.

Even an art novice can tell the painting successfully captures the heart and soul of the performer.

"I really immersed myself into her life," Bruni says. " She bled to death at age 37 from a broken arm because the doctors decided to deal with a white person before her. I tried to pull out the real emotion I was feeling about this injustice."

She says some psychics might liken her artistic process to channeling—where the spirit of a deceased soul enters an earthly person's body. The only difference, famed psychic Sylvia Browne once told Bruni, is that she channels these individuals through her paintbrushes.

Bruni is hesitant to sell the Smith portrait, but says that if someone ever chooses to buy it, she might take it as a sign from Smith that it should be sold.

Another collection of paintings she has found difficult to part with are the Mother Teresa Tribute series. Bruni says Mother Teresa came to her in a dream on the day of the humanitarian's death. She initially decided to donate the paintings to the Vatican, but then thought it would be more beneficial to the public if the paintings hung in her gallery and were available for purchase.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Gray Trumpet Man: Legendary jazz trumpeter Miles Davis is one of many music greats that Bruni has painted.

But once a week, on Saturday nights, she tries to be at her studio by 10:30 p.m. and keep the door open so people can stop by and talk to her on any subject from writing to painting.

She says that one time a young woman stayed and talked to her until 2 a.m.

"I tell the young people that stop by, 'Look. I did it. It can be done,' " she says. "The rewards are so wonderful when you are pure."

But Bruni is quick to note that inspiration has nothing to do with being a successful artist.

"I don't believe in the inspiration business," she says. "You are born an artist or you're not born an artist. If you are born with it, it is just part of you, like a third arm."

And she adds, "I paint the way a great writer writes or a great musician plays. I am the paintings and the paintings are me."

Some have called Bruni the "best kept secret" in the art world, but when this distinction is brought up in conversation, Bruni just laughs a little. She says she doesn't mind this phrase, and if people see her in this light, that's OK.

She says emphatically that she will just continue to produce work that is "pure, not compromising and hopefully a little lift for the soul."

Ironically, sometimes it is Bruni who feels uplifted by the way her work touches others.

She describes the story of Shirley Horn, a great jazz vocalist and pianist, who was discovered by jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. Bruni was aware of Horn's health problems, and over time, she would send Horn cards and images of her work. One night, Bruni went to Yoshi's jazz house in Oakland to hear Horn play. Horn had had her leg amputated and was sitting in a wheelchair, but Bruni says she still played wonderfully.

After the show, Bruni had an opportunity to meet Horn. During that encounter Horn took Bruni's hand and said, "Do you know how much you've helped me heal?"

Bruni was deeply touched by Horn's kind words.

"It just tore me up," Bruni says. "This was the greatest pay that I could ever receive in my life."

And Horn isn't the only person who has been moved by Bruni's artwork.

Nancy Sakal says she quit smoking because she wanted one of Bruni's paintings.

"My husband had really wanted me to quit smoking, and he told me that he would buy me the painting I wanted if I quit smoking," Sakal says. "So, I promised I'd quit, and he bought me a Thelonious Monk painting."

Owning some of Bruni's work has been rewarding in more ways than one, she says.

And in her will, Sakal plans to leave all the paintings she's inherited and bought over the years to the heirs of musicians, like Miles Davis and Clifford Brown.

Photograph courtesy of Mark Gray Soul Singer: One of the paintings in Bruni's Jazz Masters Series is a tribute to jazz great Ella Fitzgerald.

The series features a collection of more than 1,000 original oil paintings of jazz, blues and other musicians.

"She really brings out the spirit and emotion of the musicians," Di Carli says. "These paintings talk to you. You can hear music flowing from every one of them."

Although Bruni has been successful as a painter, with one of her Duke Ellington portraits on permanent display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., she admits that the life of an artist, in her experience, is not a pursuit of wealth.

"I've been involved in a lot of situations that would have resulted in a lot of money, but I would not be able to walk back into that gallery and look Bessie in the face," she says. "In the last minute of all these deals, I've always walked, even broken contracts, to stay true to my values of honesty and truth."

Bruni says 100 years from now, when her work sits in the homes, restaurants and museums of art patrons around the world, she hopes citizens will remember her as an artist that "didn't just talk the talk, she walked the walk."