Artist Biography
     I have spent 20 years researching and working in many different mediums including charcoal, pencil sketch, pastel, watercolor, and acrylics. My life and my work are complex and diverse.   I love the outdoors, people, textures and shapes, as well as contrasts in designs and colors, therefore my work consists of many styles and formats.  I have traveled throughout the states, Canada, Europe, and South America. The opportunity to travel has given me the chance to see artwork around the world. It also has played a very important part in the inspiration of my work.  Other cultures and the varying environments leads to an understanding of life and the human spirit as well a understanding of my own life and human spirit.  I believe as an artist this is an invaluable educational experience, and it has played a direct role in my work. 
     I have studied under many successful artists here in the Midwest where I live, and I have attended art and business  classes at our local college.   I am continuously studying and purchasing books pertaining to my work.  This offers me a wide variety of work by artists to see and to learn from as well.  From "The Artist Spirit" by Robert Henri, "Drawing on the right side of the Brain: by Betty Edwards, "The Art of Seeing" by Mary Pat Fisher and Paul ZellanskI  to biographies of well known artists such as Mary Cassatt, Gustav Klimt, Van Gogh, Gauguin, to name a few, as well as many books on technique.  The computer and the Internet also offer many opportunities for growth which I take advantage.
     The largest part of my work is acrylic on canvas. It's fast drying properties, rich vibrant colors, and versatility appeal to me. My style and techniques vary from opaque to transparent, scumbling (impasto/dry brush), and pointilism.   I paint landscape, surreal, portraiture, and abstract. My work contrast in style but one common thread with each is color.  The color is tone and determined by sentiment I have about a subject or my own mood and feelings at the time.  While value and intensity is not forgotten I prefer to paint spontaneously "off the top of my head" which results in an intuitive selection of colors, my means of explanation.