Visual Artist 

Painting for Pastors 

I consider myself a “mission minded” painter. I have no formal edu cation that involves a brush. I can’t simply sit down and paint, at least  not anything you would want to hang on your wall. I have to wait until  I am moved by something, or someone. Each painting, whether con ceaved in plein air or in the studio, tells a story. I often try to portray  what is on my heart by the title I give it and the moodiness of the  colors used.  

I was first inspired with the idea of painting when I was seeking a way  to raise funds for a pastor’s ministry my husband, Don, and I are ac tively involved with. My paintings serve as a way to encourage bro ken pastors and their families. It is the whole reason I paint. One day  I simply offered my hands in service, praying that if God would gift  my hands with something worth selling I would give the funds generated to Him. 100% of the proceeds generated from my paintings and  prints sold, go directly to the ministry, Salt Mountain Pastoral Retreat.  Anything good I ever paint, in my mind, is a gift. It is my way of giving  back to those who spend their life serving others. When I finish a  painting that captures the subject’s essence, it never ceases to amaze  me that I actually painted it. I am quite sure that I am not the author  of any of the stories my work tells, I am just the vessel used to capture  the moment and the girl who held the brush.