Art Bio

My current work is reflective of my own personal journey or, if you will, process of personal healing and transformation – a process through which I hope others may benefit.

In the earlier stages of my artistic development, my work was focused largely on that which is termed "Realism," involving landscape and wildlife imagery primarily. I formed a very specific plan, and most times, a detailed idea and drawing, before ever going to canvas.

Over the past several years, I have experienced many breakthroughs in my personal life on a variety of levels, spiritually, emotionally, mentally and physically. This, of course, has dramatically expanded the directions of my work. It has been quite a process and a journey, and at times almost overwhelmingly exciting. It has opened new doors and pathways of creativity of which, previously, I could only have dreamed.

This newer approach involves the unilateral connection to that which one may term the "Zen Mind." This is a place of letting go of any and all attachments to the outcome of any piece of work. I make no plan. I meditate, I pray. I let go. I ask Spirit to guide my strokes. I then put paint to canvas and, layer by layer, images begin to appear before me. Sometimes I enhance them. Sometimes not.

This freedom of expression and exploration is bringing forth images which, I believe, possess the essential elements of healing. More, it constantly teaches me about myself and my connection to all of life. In the past, I knew that I could "paint what I see." I am now learning that it is more important to "see what I paint."

A bit more history...

I have been creating art in one form or another all of my life. Nature, the earth and her creatures, is a continual source of inspiration to me. Animals have always awed and pleased me, from the family pets to the wildest beasts. I wrote and illustrated my first book of animals at the age of eight.

Art was my favorite subject in school. I studied art and the sciences at Lansing Community College in Michigan and then went on to Michigan State University. Upon relocating to Albuquerque, New Mexico, I continued studying art at UNM. After graduation I worked as a freelance graphic artist for a variety of companies before moving to California. I then studied drawing and painting at The Mission Renaissance School of Art in Los Angeles.

As time went on I became increasingly involved in computers, particularly with the arts of typography and graphic design in the publishing industry. I gained hands-on experience in all phases of commercial printing, from layout and design, typesetting, camera work, stripping, platemaking, to operating an offset press. I taught typography, and trained clients in the use of typesetting, computer graphics and electronic publishing programs. All the while I continued to draw and paint in my home studio.

I am currently working in pastel, watercolor, mixed media and collage. For the past 2 years, I have been immersed in the art and craft of papermaking, combining paper, dye and found objects into landscapes and organic abstracts.

Art has been my greatest teacher and my greatest pleasure. It has taught me to focus my energy, to observe the world around me, and to find my place and connection with nature. My most recent work is reflective of my own spiritual search and growth. Through a combination of landscapes, animals, signs and symbols, my goal is to express the interconnectedness of all life.