Back in Black

I love to paint with color and texture and manipulate the materials. My artwork sometimes incorporates layers of acrylic, gel, pastel, graphite and other mediums. It's
exciting to experiment by altering the mediums with water, sand and other fibers.
I paint with loose and gesturally brush marks and don't want to tie myself to a particular
style. When I am painting, mixing and layering, I’m always wondering....“what
happens if?” All of my art is inspired by my surroundings whether it be travel, music,
people, an event or sometimes just my mood.

As a child, I had an interest in painting and drawing, but it wasn’t until 2011 that I opened a studio at the encouragement of friends. I earned a degree in communications and graphic design from The University of Alabama and pursued a career in graphic arts. After several years in the graphic design industry, I earned a Master of Education in Art and taught High School level art. I had the opportunity to experiment with a variety of mediums including oil, acrylic and watercolor, drawing, photography and ceramics.
 So, opening a small studio geared at teaching and exploring art with the neighborhood kids was a natural fit.

I am a native Texan. I was born and raised to love boots, cowboy hats, the great outdoors and all things Texas. My grandfather always said, "You can take the girl out of Texas, but you cannot take the Texas out of the girl." But, having lived in Alabama for over 25 years, I consider it my true home. My southern roots are strong and another inspiration for my work. For approximately seven years my family lived in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and in 2021 relocated to Western Michigan. In the summer of 2023 our family returned to our beloved south to Birmingham, Alabama.

With a background in advertising and graphic arts, my early works were very structured and linear. Through years of experimentation, my artwork has evolved to gesturally and free form. I love color and texture. The layers, movement and color in the works of Willem de Kooning have provided inspiration for me. I am always experimenting with a variety of mediums creating works that keep the eye moving around the canvas. My curiosity keeps me continually emerging as an artist.
Since our recent move back to Alabama, I have a greater focus on realism. By creating art based on wildlife, architecture and landscape, I found it a good way to hone my skills in detail and perspective. Attempting to mix my loose strokes and abstract visions with things more detailed and life like has peaked my curiosity and given new inspiration.