I love birds. I just do. And moss. And water with it’s endless possibilities. I like my art to be first about the subject, and second about the media itself. It's a magical visual alchemy that cadmium orange and cerulean blue combine to make the perfect warm gray for a mourning dove’s feathers! I love laying tightness on top of looseness and letting the first marks I make show through here and there, creating endless layers of interest. My painting education is in realism. I have carried that forward into my current work in acrylic and watercolor, often incorporating metallic pigment. I also am fascinated with printmaking techniques: etching, monoprinting, sometimes combining these modalities with painting. A new curiosity is sourcing pigments in nature and finding ways to use them in my work. My greatest influence has always been the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where I was born and live, excepting time in Missouri to earn a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. My heart’s desire is that my art might encourage a closer look at our incredible universe, which is our gift to nurture and protect and sustain us as we enjoy our place within it.