Welcome!

I can't remember not loving to draw and paint. 

When I was in kindergarten, my favorite time of day was craft time. As I grew older, I continued drawing, painting, refurbishing, and creating, but 3 precious things kept me from pursuing a career in art - Sydney, Reilly and Carter. Late night waitress jobs helped me contribute to keeping food on the table for our little family, and that was fine by me. There was nothing I would have exchanged for the blessing of staying at home with my children as they grew. 

Now they are older, and I find myself with more time on my hands for lots of things! I'm enjoying becoming reacquainted with Dan, my soulmate of 27 years, for checking in with myself periodically instead of flying by the seat of my pants, and for delving back into the creativity I enjoy so much. 

Occasionally, my kids make fun of my art (critique it), and they are brutally honest, but I love having them here, along with my husband, and the "bonus" kids we've acquired in our journey together. 

Life is all starting to make sense now...

I use many different mediums, but I am quite fond of acrylics.  I believe that working in a single medium is restrictive to my artistic process, and so, occasionally I dabble in various art styles and mediums. But for me, acrylic painting has been my "comfort zone". I love the idea that I can make a mistake and completely cover it up as if it never existed.  If only life was that way! The best part is that in a final art piece, there are layers and layers of mistakes and changes in my plan that only I know about. Every piece has a story, and some are longer and more complex than others. I guess you could say a painting has a life in that way, and a definite story to tell.

Life is my inspiration.

The ups, the downs, the ins and outs, the highs and lows...haha.

I could also say that my art is a reflection of who I am, or at least who I aspire to be.  

I love animals. You'll see them a lot.

I also love the miraculous beauty of nature, the human body, the universe.  All of them are so fragile, and so innately strong at the same time.

Above all, the fact that I tell my kids to do whatever they can to follow their dreams and do what they love means that I must do the same. 

I am a believer in leading by example. 

This is me, attempting to do just that.