I have always created but it wasn't until I finished my graduate degree in counseling and began working in the field that I truly realized the absolute importance of a creative outlet. During the time that I worked in the mental health field I quickly learned that the best way to take care of my own mental health was to create. A few years ago, with the support and encouragement of my husband, I made the decision to take a break from the mental health field and since then I have been painting full time.

I am self-taught, garnering knowledge and advice where I can. The style of my work evolves and changes with my mood. Local color, humor, emotion, and sometimes-even a little sarcasm find their way into my work. I approach each piece with an idea, but rarely is the finished product what I initially envisioned, it's taken time and practice to realize the organic nature of each piece and how with little guidance from me, each piece seems to actualize in my hands.

Most of my work begins with several layers of acrylic paint and glazes. Often I use torn or textured paper, rice paper, or found pieces such as vintage sewing patterns, origami paper and sheet music or printed text of my design, these may be crumpled for texture or arranged in layers. In the final layers I often utilize charcoal, graphite, pastels, or water media. The final piece is then sealed with wax medium. All of my work is either framed or on gallery wrapped canvas.