My life began in Denver, Colorado. I came into the world during a 3-day snowstorm in November of 1946 that dropped 31 inches of snow on the city. I am the oldest of five children.
Ever since I can remember, I have appreciated nature and loved to create âprettyâ things. I became interested in drawing at a very early age. I loved to draw horses and other animals and
enjoying doodling any thing else I would think of. Throughout high school, "ART" was my favorite subject and I took as many drawing classes as I could ... animals, faces, costumes, landscapes,
figure drawing, etc.
I used to spend a lot of my time creating posters, greeting cards, pergamano cards, and did a lot of fabric painting for clothes and quilts I would make. I would use Prismacolor Pencils, pen and ink, Deka fabric paints, and pastels in my projects. In 1980, my aunt
invited me to go to an art class with her to âtry outâ oil painting. I was very apprehensive of going and was full of doubts, but my instructor, Jerry Fugere, gave me the reassurance I needed
and gave much encouragement to continue with it. I studied under him for about one year and have been on my own ever since. I have since expanded into acrylics and watercolors but oil is still my favorite medium.
Because of my love for wildlife, I volunteered to work at the Denver Zoo for several years and was allowed to work in the nursery. I was the person who got to take the baby animals
outside for exercise while others cleaned the pens. I spent most of the time photographing and drawing quick sketches of the animals and learned a lot about their detail and habits.
In 1985, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on a safari to Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. I took many, many photographs in the three weeks that I was there and they have ended up being a real inspiration to me for new paintings. I have never been able
to return there, but my heart will always remain there.
It was in 1998 that I discovered digital painting. Soon after I began creating web pages, I wanted to learn to make my own graphics. A professional artist, photographer and friend, Tom Mares, gave me the encouragement I needed to
begin. He was kind enough to teach me the basics of Adobe Photo Shop and thatâs what I started with. My new art brush became the mouse and my canvas was the computer screen. I paint on the
computer the same exact way I paint on canvas or paper. I use no filters, manipulations or any of the other fancy things that computers do. I just use the paint brush and smudge tool to get
the effects that I want.
In my spare time, I enjoy camping, gardening, sewing, crafts, my three grown children and my six grandsons. I love spending as much time as I can with my family as they are the true treasures of my life. I cannot imagine what my life would be like without them.
I believe that my art is a true gift from God. I know it has been a blessing from Him because it is something that I could never do on my own. There isnât a day that goes by that I don't thank Him for everything He has given to me. The beauty of nature that God has given to all of us is a constant
inspiration. Nature has so much to share and there is so much to paint! In a world of so much negativity and turmoil, I am truly thankful that He allows me to paint a more positive, peaceful, and beautiful world.
