I first started painting in kindergarten and grade school with egg tempera's, and water-based paints. As my skills with the brush grew, so did my loved to mix paints and tangible objects such as shredded paper or earth objects. My imagination went wild and I just could not find it in my heart to discard anything, so I devised creative ways to use both disposable items and those offered by nature elsewhere. What an awakening, experimenting by using crushed twigs as brushes, leaves as stamps, and rocks as my pallet. I mixed sand into my paints, food coloring into my water, and painted on anything that was standing still (without defacing nature of course!). Painted rock paperweights were abundant in our household!

Over the past years, I've refined my techniques, and continue to concentrate in acrylics, oils, oil markers/sticks, color pencil, and glazes on canvas. However I will still mix "special" objects uponrequest into consignment paintings. This offers the client the opportunity to contribute to the creation of the piece, and at thesame time personalize them. I have actually been asked to use some of the ashes/cremains from a patrons deceased animal in a painting of her, ultimately offering everlasting love from her owner by keeping the memory of her rescued "Bailey" alive.

My hopes are to capture the essence of the animal, from photo, as well as through stories and shared memories to help bring the spirit of each painting alive. And most important, to give back to those creatures who have contributed so much to my life, and that of this earths!

In the case of a rescued animal, these paintings represent the images of animals, while the framing can include the importance of the struggles and final conclusion for placement or passing of the animal via inclusion of the story.

As you will see when you wander through my gallery of pictures, each painting takes on a life of it’s own. For more information on images I use when creating a painting, please reference the custom designs section of this site. I can create an image from hard copy or jpg photo, but prefer to meet the animal and/or subject matter-if possible. Equally important is gathering information from it’s life companion. The image is critical, but experience is key!