As a young girl, I loved to draw and paint, finding inspiration from color and nature.  However, that love of art went dormant for many years, as I grew into adulthood and management jobs in the business world with both IBM and Pepsi-Cola.  The business world was for me, not very gratifying. After marrying and having children, I thought that teaching students was my calling, so I wound up finishing my master’s degree in education, and taught preschool, 4th grade, and middle school science for 15 years in California.

It wasn’t until the tragic passing of my son in 2015, and a subsequent move to Arizona, that I discovered what it was that I meant to be doing.  Art started as a form of meditation and therapy as I sought to deal with my grief.  It wasn’t long before I realized that I was totally in my element, and doing something that not only was hugely satisfying, but which also brought much light and joy to others. I knew I had “come home” to who I really was.

I still love color and tend to create pieces that express my love for nature, but I am also fascinated by how little pieces can make up a whole.  My acrylic, oil, and alcohol ink paintings, as well as my stained-glass mosaics reflect this “piecemeal” approach to life, and truly come from my soul. I feel if I can bring a feeling of joy to others through my art, then I truly have accomplished something.

Some may feel that art is in the eyes of the beholder, however, I know that art is in the soul of the artist.