Biography
What is your earliest childhood memory of creating art and what did you create?
It was probably in the first grade. I remember drawing some pictures on the chalk board and getting recognition for what I had drawn. Funny how certain things stick with you.
How did you start watercolor painting?
My first watercolor experience was in college, I liked to do mostly abstract studies, but I do remember doing a face early on which was sold after being displayed. Learning to paint faces with Stan Miller brought me full circle!
Why do you create art?
Really good question! To see something new come to life is beyond heaven on earth. It is filling a place in my life that nothing else can.
What is your most important artist’s tool? Is there something you can’t live without in your studio?
I like my really big size 30 deviance cosmotop and I love my rigger.
Is there an element of art you enjoy working with most? Why?
I do love composition coming from a photography background. When I taught photography at Augie, I loved talking about the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical division of space based on sacred geometry. I find it fascinating that life has such order and beauty, a reflection of the divine.
What inspires you?
Everything, books and nature mostly, but especially the amazing people in the Great Plains Watercolor Society.
How do you know when a work is finished?
It feels balanced, it can still have a bit of mystery and an almost unfinished quality.
Is there an artwork you are most proud of? Why?
The first face I painted after the Stan Miller workshop. The woman’s face just spoke to me.
How do you overcome creative blocks?
I decide nothing has to be perfect or wonderful, it is a process.
What is your dream project?
I would love to receive a commission to produce some artwork, I just need to put some time into my art. Finally, after selling the studio, I can get busy!
Name three artists you admire:
Andrew Wyeth, Edvard Munch, and Gustav Klimt
