Art is our passion! Creating Fine Art to Enjoy to Wear to Gift
Art is not only my passion, it is also my livelihood. Through my artwork I have found an enjoyable way to express myself and a way to change the world. That may sound overly exaggerated, but it is true. Every thought and action we have can influence our reality, thus, my artistic vision and human purpose compel me to be responsible to our world by making art that reflects what I want to see in our world. With this in mind, my choice of what I create is very deliberate. At times I make art that is beautiful. At other times I make funky or whimsical art that makes you chuckle.
For my paintings and fine art I often choose Nature as my preferred subject because it is the ultimate masterpiece, it is endlessly creative, and it is mysterious. I have devoted most of my art career painting Nature because it is beautiful, creative, and honest. I am most inspired to paint special places, animals, or moments that evoke rapture, reverence, and awe, the kind of subjects that engage people to appreciate their universe and the natural world that sustains them. That kind of gratitude is what I want to see in the world. I do not want to add to our destructive human story by creating expressions of dystopia or negative imagery that remind us of what’s wrong in the world. On the contrary, I want people to be grateful, and my preferred way to do this is to inspire them with Nature's brilliant creativity and awe inspiring beauty.
I also choose Nature because I am often involved with it. I am an avid outdoor explorer, so whether I hike, ski, bike, sail, or kayak, my art is driven by my explorations; thus, I prefer to capture the features and impressions of places or objects I have personally experienced by distinguishing what makes them unique. I do this by painting individuality, not generic impressions, and this is why I choose to paint realistically. Furthermore, realism is easily understood, thus, it is easier to convey an artwork’s meaning and intent.
As much as I am drawn to Nature subject matter, however, I also enjoy painting horses and western themes. I think horses are one of the most beautiful animals on the planet with perfect proportions and symmetry. Since beauty is a prominent theme for my art, horses have been an obvious choice to paint because they are so beautiful. I was also inspired to paint many horses and western artworks because I lived in Siskiyou County, California, a place where ranching is prevalent, and I was fortunate to see horses, ranchers, and cowboys everywhere.
In addition to my serious fine art I also enjoy creating fun and whimsical art that makes people chuckle. My large collection of whimsical illustrations was largely due to Harry and I owning a screen printing and embroidery business for fourteen years, and we sold T-shirts wholesale to retailers. With my art skills we were able to offer high end designs that sold well. One of our biggest customers was the Black Bear Diner chain, so naturally we offered them bear themed shirts and that motivated me to paint a lot of whimsical bear themed artworks. However, bears aren’t the only humorous subject matter I have explored. I have also done many other comical subjects. No matter what I have done or will continue to do, I am driven to make art that feels good or fun and will be enjoyed by others.
I’ve been a professional artist for nearly fifty years and in that time I have achieved success and acclaim by exhibiting in over seventy exhibition venues including one person shows, group shows, and juried international, national, and regional competitions, and by receiving many awards and exposure in national magazines. I also have been fortunate to have numerous of my paintings included in the collections of many noteworthy museums in the U.S. I have also won awards my my illustrations.
I was raised in Auburn, California, a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of northern California. I met my husband Harry while back-country skiing in the Sierra Nevada's near Lake Tahoe, California. We were both young and enthusiastic outdoor explorers and Harry’s skill as a backpacker, mountaineer, skier, and Nature renaissance man coupled with my deep curiosity to explore made us a perfect match.
I have always been the creative drive and Harry has always been the enabler, and even today, we both put our best skills and talents together to make our art business better. Harry is the IT man, and without his ability to digest and learn the quirks of building our website; setting up our Etsy store; or setting up new equipment like printers or software, my art wouldn’t get out there for our viewers to see and appreciate. We are a team, we excel in our skills, and our special skills each other perfectly. We are also best friends, so whether we play together or work together we do it as friends who care and love each other. It isn’t often that couples share their passions and friendships
