What Inspires My Art

Nature inspires me constantly. I’m awed by God's creation be it a magnificent landscape or tiny mushroom. Given the chance, I’ll stop in pure delight and wonder - admiring, contemplating, investigating, being thankful. It can make me a slow hiking companion! I also nature journal - an even slower but also more attentive practice.

I appreciate the beauty and diversity of nature but also of people and all the creative ways we express ourselves. I hope my art can reflect and celebrate these gifts and encourage others to see and celebrate that in their own lives.

My Art Journey

My art career began at an early age - 3 years old perhaps - when I painted the doorbell and sidewalk leading to my house bright red! I didn't get much more painting time after that but was lovingly steered towards the less permanent art medium of crayons. Around age 5, when first asked that inevitable question of "what do want to do when you grow up", I answered "go to Harvard for art". I did not - but continued to relish pencils and markers for a long while, and threw my creativity into any school, work or yard projects I could. Finally in my late 40s, I took a painting class and became hooked on this new medium.

I've greatly benefited from workshops with numerous art instructors as well as from artists in my community - they are generous folks. The Painting Miles art community provided my first foray into publicly displaying my art in 2017 at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. In 2020, a painting was juried into the Cary Gallery of Artists "Small Treasures" show. Since then, I've shown in the Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex, WakeMed Cary Hospital, Page Walker Art and History Center, and the Florence Thomas Art Gallery in West Jefferson, NC. As a member of the Fine Arts League of Cary, the High Country Plein Air Painters, and critique groups, I’ve learned from and been immensely encouraged by a wonderful community of artists.