I am from a small farming community in southern Indiana. Growing up there was filled with many days outdoors playing in the fields and climbing trees. My childhood was also filled with craft and art projects, and drawing became a way for me to deal with being shy. My fondness for the open countryside and drawing led to my interest in art at an early age. I continued my education after high school at Purdue University where I studied art education and interior design. Professional work after graduation took me into the field of health care design. Marriage and children brought about a second career in fine arts, allowing me to work from home.
I first worked in colored pencil but now work almost exclusively in oil and gouche. I have studied with portrait artist Ann Kullberg, watercolorist Tom Lynch, and oil painters Bryan Mark Taylor, Ken Backhaus, Lori Putnam, David Dean, Michael Chesley Johnson, Steven Walker, Joe Lombardo, Shanna Kunz and many of the Plein Air Painters of Utah. My subject matter is mostly landscape and still life, and I paint what inspires me on an almost daily basis.
Good weather finds me painting en plein air for the simple reason that I love being outdoors and the discipline makes for better studio paintings. My style of painting is contemporary realism with a dash of expressionism. I like to experiment with color and composition and finding fresh ways of expressing my passion for painting.
Along with my husband Jeff, I live and paint in Heber City, UT. We have two grown children and two grandchildren.