My goal as an artist is to translate what I see onto a surface in a beautiful way. Using the filter I have developed over the years of observation, analysis and learning, I project my view using various mediums. Always creative and curious, I have been observing the world my entire life, holding certain images in my head, as well as taking photos "to paint later". I love to travel and have been fortunate to see other parts of this beautiful world and I have so many images in my head that I would love to paint, sometimes I don't think there are enough hours in the day for this.

I mostly love to paint portraits and anything in nature whether an individual detailed flower, or a landscape. While my first paints were watercolors, my formal training was in oil paint and I really love the medium. I have recently tried to learn to use acrylic and see that it makes an excellent medium for some mixed media pieces I'm making. Soft pastels are another love.

I studied art in school and then went into technology as a career, always keeping my hand in a creative endeavor. I studied art history and studio art at the university level and continue to take classes today. My career has been in technology yet I always had in my head some plan to transition into being an artist full-time. While that has never happened, I have come to appreciate how working in corporations and business have satisfied the intellectual and analytic part of my brain and provided me with more need and passion to also continue to make art as a relief to the other. There is a great little book by Winston Churchill, "Painting as a Pastime" (1932) where he describes this well, he used painting to help him focus on something completely different than world affairs. I think it refreshes my mind. But I would be lying if I didn't admit that I would still love to paint full-time, given the opportunity!

After many years working and having multiple different creative efforts, I have decided to go back to painting. When I was young I struggled to see how art could be essential, it's probably why I didn't try to pursue it full-time after college and instead tried to be a missionary! Now I do see that it is essential. And I can't escape the passion of creating. Art provides a greater depth to our lives, it makes us think in ways we may not be used to thinking, it provides an alternate way to see things and figure out problems in a different way. As an analytical person, it allows me to solve problems spatially instead of in a spreadsheet.

I think it is time for me to share my art with others, I'm really looking forward to it and I hope you enjoy the visions I've created as much as I enjoy making them.

ARTIST BIO

ART EDUCATION
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VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY, Nashville, TN: BA Degree in Art History, including studio art courses in drawing and design.
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, St. Louis, MO: Studio Art courses; Beginning Painting, Drawing and Painting and Advanced Drawing and Painting. (1985, 1986, 1990)
RELIGIOUS ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF ITALY, Italy: Participated in summer course in Italy through Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, TX. Traveled throughout Italy studying religious art and architecture. (1980)
MERAMEC COMMUNITY COLLEGE, St. Louis, MO: Basic 2-D Design Course (1984)
PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE, Tucson, AZ: Watercolor and Drawing Courses (1996)

ART EMPLOYMENT and VOLUNTEER WORK
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INSIGHTS, Into St. Louis Arts: Board Member and Publicity Chairman for St. Louis fundraising organization (1990)
ART GALLERY ASSISTANT, Elliot Smith Gallery, St. Louis, MO: Worked as an assistant for a local art gallery selling and cataloging both local and national modern artwork (paintings, drawings, photography and prints) (1989)
SUMMER INSTITUTE OF LINGUISTICS/WYCLIFFE, Cameroun, W. Africa: Prepared illustrations for African language books as a short term missionary (1986)
VEILED PROPHET FAIR EVENT, St. Louis, MO: Coordinated other artists to design and complete the decoration of two areas of the fair grounds (1983)

INDEPENDENT ARTIST/SEWING/FABRIC ARTS
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DECORATIVE ART (1984 - 1993) St. Louis, MO. Designed hand drawn greeting cards, custom invitations, announcements and note cards. Designed decorative, hand-painted furniture and faux finish interior wall decoration.
LITTLE BITSYS (1996 - 2007) Tucson, AZ and Denver, CO. Hand Painted Clothing
SEWING GEEK (2008 - current) Denver, CO. Developed social networking craft identify and participated in online and local sewing and quilting events. Made and sold quilts, sewn products and my own patterns for quilts and tote bags. Was featured in a UK magazine (www.homemadewlove.co.uk) in 2013 for two patterns I developed using pre-cuts.