I was born in States Center, Iowa but I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. The warm Arizona sun called my family out West when I was five. I have wonderful memories of living on the farm. Childhood, life is simple and life on the farm was magic. I am thankful that I had that beginning in my life. Now that I have lived so many years in Arizona I have become a true desert rat. When the desert is in full bloom it is awesome. A lush desert sounds like an oxymoron but it does make quite a transformation. These prickly sometimes dry looking strange plants suddenly come alive with color. While it is still in the slumber state, as I like to call it, the desert is beautiful with its subtle changes in terrain and the way the sunlight and evening sunsets changes the colors of the mountains and the cacti. One needs to be quiet and pay attention to really appreciate the desert. I am influenced by these observations and my paintings reflect this with their bold splashes of color mixed with the serene, calming, spiritual effects of introspection.
When my older sister died in 1988 it began dramatic change in my art. I felt that abstract expressionism was a more emotional connection with what I was painting. I met a wonderful teacher, Eleanor Harris, who became my mentor. She taught me about collage and non-objective shapes. She helped me refine my interest and abilities in collage and abstraction. Other instructors followed. I made another shift in my painting while studying with Louise Cadillac in Greece. Since then I have found my own unique way to move paint and use color. Now corporate and private collectors throughout the United States and Canada own my paintings.
Sharing my art is an important part of being an artist. I do this with some special interest projects such as organizing an art auction to benefit the Arizona Easter Seals and also taking a group of artists to the Easter Seal Camp to teach painting to the handicapped children and adults. I am also a fervent supporter of Free Arts for Abused Children and the American Diabetes Association. I was the signature artist for the American Diabetes Art Auction in 2005. I will participate in an auction for Ovarian Cancer this year as a tribute to Eleanor Harris.
