Armed with my grandmother’s artistic proclivities, a stack of Brian Froud books, and some watercolors, I taught myself to paint when I was a kid. I spent a year and a half at an art school in Southern California, which I adored, and have continued honing my skills ever since. My creative process starts with either an idea of what I’m going to make, research for some source material and careful planning before getting started OR, I just sit down with a pencil and my sketchpad and will something into existence. Sometimes I’m convinced that there are at least three different artists holed up in my head.

I have a few recurring characters: some little creatures that are mostly robot with a splash of something a little more delicate, some jaded women with an attachment to the science behind love, and my grumpy little owl called Herbert, and a bevy of bird portraits. I also do children’s portraits, and the occasional flower or piece of fruit, but my work tends toward the light and smile-inducing, which isn't necessarily the way to go if you want to be taken seriously as a more traditional gallery artist.

A friend of mine first turned me on to Etsy waaaay back in 2006. I signed up and listed a few items, but didn’t really have much success until Herbert the owl popped up. I got a lot of positive response to the prints I was creating, which inspired me to keep going with it. It’s been so interesting to see where my art manages to find a new home. One print was purchased by someone who lives in a castle in Wales!