About the Artist

As a lifelong art lover and collector, I never considered the possibility of actually trying my hand at it until my children were grown. Blame the pressures of making a living and raising a family, or just my own fears of the creative process, but whatever the reasons for my late bloom, when I picked up a pastel in 2004 my whole world changed. Fueled by a growing addiction to the beauty and range of pastels (and just the pure fun of all those gorgeous colors!) and by the ease of my increasingly empty nest, I have had the time of my life discovering the inherent possibilities of a blank piece of paper and a few hours of uninterrupted time. Throw in the thrill of getting to disappear on my own on a beautiful summer day to “work” plein air and I feel like the cat that swallowed the canary.
 
I have lived all my life in Illinois and Wisconsin (and more recently Michigan) and am an enthusiastic lover of the midwest landscape.
Much of my inspiration comes from the beauty of the Great Lakes, the constantly changing light and color of the water and sky, as well as the poignancy of the disappearing rural landscapes. I’ve been fortunate to have exhibited in some wonderful galleries - among them are Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Fish Creek, WI, Seed Gallery inTraverse City, MI and Center Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI, as well as to have been accepted into a number of national juried shows. This validation has fueled my obsession to continue learning about every type of painting that I have time to get to!

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Over the past several years, that learning process had led me to seriously pursue portraiture. I relish the challenge of trying to capture the essence of a personality, or the spirit of love in a relationship. Every face, every pose is different and requires a unique approach, which keeps me on my toes as an artist, and the collaboration with my clients has proven to be fun and stimulating.
 
Feel free to contact me directly if you're interested in commissioning a portrait or a landscape.