Being creative has always been a part of my life. Different mediums, subjects, places, people and events continually shape me as an artist and give me inspiration. My passion is Plein Air painting. Living in Southern Utah provides a lifetime of subjects that are irresistible to my desire to paint The paintings I love the most "choose me". Whether it's a color, shape value or subject ? my inner muse stops me and says "paint this". My goal is to communicate with the viewer the joy I see around me. Listening to each painting to understand what should or should not be included is a lifelong lesson.
Painting also heals me, one picture at a time. It gives an outlet to the uncertainty of the day and replaces it with a feeling of hope and goodness again. I look forward to this period of renewal every time I paint.
Artistic influences in my life are always present in my mind when I am painting. This includes Thomas Moran, John Singer Sargent and Edgar Payne and most recently Tibor Nagy and Mark Boedges. I have been blessed with several mentors in different times of my life that have helped further my artistic ability. Some of the art workshops I have attended include J Brad Holt, Kathryn Stats and Lori Putnam. Their advice and lessons stay with me as a part of my learning process.