I am a 1975 graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Textile, Clothing and Design. I was born and spent my early years in Grand Junction, Colorado, later being raised in the Midwest. Currently Kansas City is home.

Upon Graduating from college, I moved to San Francisco to work as an interior designer for a corporate design firm, The Inside Story. My clients included Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs, Marbella Condominiums in Miami, Peat Marwick Mitchell in Portland, Oregon, and a model home development in Saudi Arabia.

Traveling inspires my paintings. Viewing life from different places helps me to see with fresh eyes. A major influence on my work is the time spent living in Bogota, Colombia. During this period I traveled extensively throughout South America. Painting became my way of communicating my experience. After leaving South America, Miami became home, followed by Salt Lake City and Salem, Oregon. Experiencing cultures so different from my own heightened my awareness of the world around me.

What captures my interest is the energy, or feel, of the subject that I am painting. Color is vital in recreating the emotional tone. The color and feel of a setting sun on the beach grasses of the Oregon coast is very different from that of a sunset over the Kansas prairie. I am always exploring ways to portray emotion on a two dimensional format.

The texture, color and feel of the brush stroke are important aspects of my paintings. I use hand made brushes that each make a uniquely individual contribution to the painting. I am always reaching for new color combinations as well as subtle color changes, through glazing. Viewing a painting should be like sitting in front of a fire. I want the viewer to be fed at different levels and depths of their being.

It was at mid career, after raising a family and many moves, that I began to pursue painting full-time. I was largely self-taught until having the opportunity to study as a full-time apprentice for two years with Southwest painter, Paul Forster. He has been a professional painter and art instructor for over 50 years and has exhibited widely in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

My works currently hang in private and corporate collections in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, San Francisco and Kansas City.