It all began when I was a little girl, sitting at the hand of my grandmother practicing drawing and painting from her Famous Artists School books. Lessons from: Harold von Schmidt, John Atherton, Al Parker, Albert Dorne, Norman Rockwell, Ben Stahl, Peter Helck, Stevan Dohanos, Jon Whitcomb, Austin Briggs, and Robert Fawcett. My grandmother wanted to be an artist, she loved to draw, and she imparted her skills, love, and a last wish “be the artist, I always wanted to be!” So as a young girl, I set my life to studying art, and absorbing life, art, and culture.
I studied art at Appalachian State University (Design and Printmaking), Barton College (Dual BS/Printmaking & Commercial Art), The University of NC at Greensboro (MFA/studies), and Ghost Ranch, NM (Intuitive Painting. There have been many twists and turns in my journey including significant international travel, which I exercised every opportunity to absorb the museums and galleries along the way. I am also an avid consumer of art documentaries and listen to them during my studio sessions. My current library includes 80+ artist documentaries. It’s like painting with artists that have gone before.
When I paint the world just falls away as if I was touched by a memory. Each painting is unique and exciting, the vibrant color wraps into the texture and layers to create exciting intricate patterns.