About Me
My Background
My passion for the arts began at a young age. At age three, I proudly used my entire arsenal of Crayola Crayons to “spruce up the grout” of my best friend's brick home (my first "canvas") – artwork is still on display today! I then began to channel my love of art through dance. I trained as a dancer for many years and developed an infatuation with capturing movement. This led to my work with choreography where I could use a stage as my canvas. After my work with choreography, I was fortunate to be accepted and study under the direct instruction of Gregory Johnson, world-renowned artist. After several years of instruction and mentoring, Gregory prompted me to “do what I love” which led to the creation of Painting-in- Faux. Once again my canvas changed; instead of capturing movement on a stage, I was transforming walls, ceilings and creating murals. I learned how to utilize color, dimension and scale to my advantage. During this time I continually worked to make a client's vision a reality. I spent 20 years successfully nurturing and managing this business before finding my true passion; creating original artwork.
My Inspiration
Nature's abundant and diverse beauty fuels my soul. It’s this immense love for the natural world as well as the animal kingdom, that truly inspires my artwork. My favorite pastimes are traveling, hiking, photography and exploring the outdoors with young grandkids ... they continually push me to become the best version of myself!
Throughout my life, I’ve had the tendency to observe the natural world through the unfiltered prism of child-like eyes. I am totally infatuated with animals and they often become the subjects of my work. By striving to encapsulate their soul, my main focus is on their eyes and expressions. This is probably why most of my paintings are cameos and close ups.
What has inspired me immensely in this artistic quest is the attempt to capture a beautiful moment and then apply color, texture and brushstrokes to suspend it in time.
My Medium
My preferred choice of medium is directly influenced by my current subject matter. I want to capture what I see and create an effect for the viewer using a variety of mediums.
After working exclusively in oils during my formative years, it was exciting to discover the world of acrylics and mixed media. I really enjoy experimenting with different mediums, textures and tools in order to achieve visual interest and dimension on canvas.
My ultimate desire throughout this creative process is to share a single moment in time with the observer - a human connection through my artistic journey.