Influences

Farming has been a strong influence in my life. From an early age I had plenty of chores. My favorites were feeding and bringing the cows in from pasture. I spent a lot of time outside, so I love the landscape. My farm is smaller now, but my family still has animals and I have several gardens, growing produce and flowers. Getting outside to paint on location is always on my to-do list.

My favorite art subject as a student was figure drawing. I loved the sponteneity of drawing from observation, starting with a quick gesture drawing, and then building out the details. Often, the playfulness of a gesture drawing takes over and I just want to play with line and color.

Over the years I have studied with a number of teachers and have taken numerous workshops with nationally acclaimed artists. Art is a lifelong journey, and I continue to explore new subjects and techniques.