I have always drawn and painted. I was lucky to grow up in a large family that encouraged creativity. My dad had a newspaper with a printshop and he brought home the leftover paper for me to mark, paint and cut. In middle school I designed and painted murals for our dances. In high school my art class had a show in our downtown park that included my very large, very pink, nude. My teacher stood bravely by all day. I also painted enormous Wildcats on newsprint that the football team ran through at the beginning of each game.
I chose a landscape architecture career that honed my designer's eye and drawing skills. Those years of creating three dimensional spaces, designing with shadow, sunlight, color and texture, naturally inspired my passion for painting landscapes. I quit my day job and became a full-time artist almost 20 years ago when I fell in love and moved to the King's Valley area. I’ve participated in juried shows, solo shows and group shows and my work has been published in a national magazine and book. My studio sits near vineyards and overlooks tawny meadows and oak covered hillsides. I am experimenting with acrylics, iPad digital apps and watercolor as well as pastel. I paint plein air regularly, sharpening my intention in the studio to create a finished piece. I believe in the healing power of Nature and wish to share that solace.
I paint with Vistas & Vineyards in the summer and belong to the Corvallis Art Guild. I show annually in the fall on the Philomath Open Studios Tour and am a signature member of the Northwest Pastel Society.