Education
I have a Bachelor's Degree from Stetson University, Deland, Florida in
Sociology and Political Science with a certificate in Criminology, and

attended graduate school to study Applied Social Research and Statistics.
I worked as a researcher for 10 years for companies such as Research
Triangle Institute and Duke University, before moving to Shiloh, NC
where I have now lived since 2004.

An Interesting Beginning
I'm a self-taught artist who grew up in the country raising and training
animals, and teaching others how to work with animals. A large part of my
past was as a professional horse trainer and riding instructor, as well as a
competitor. I am currently a certified horse show judge, and have been a
judge for many years.

I first began my artistic career in July 2004 while, believe it or not, on my
honeymoon. The first couple of years were spent teaching myself all about
how to create art and the little intricacies and techniques involved. I have
learned to grow as an artist by forcing myself to draw and paint subjects I
normally would have no interest in and would never try. That is why you
see so many different galleries on this site.

God Given Ability
I am a Christian and believe that any artistic ability I may have comes directly
from God Himself. I may possess a bachelor's degree and a graduate school
education, but my degrees are not in art. With the exception of high school, 

I have never even taken an art class. Any talent that I may possess belongs

to God, and Him alone do I attempt to glorify and honor with whatever ability

that has been given to me.

Artistic Style
My style of creating art is Realism. This means that I create art that looks
like real life, similar to looking like a photograph, but not necessarily
photo-realism. As you peruse my galleries, you will find that I enjoy
painting subjects from a close range, and I especially enjoy
showcasing eyes.  I believe that it's through the subject's eyes  that
their personality is revealed.  If an artist cannot make the eyes look
real and alive, full of emotion, then they have utterly failed in depicting the
subject.  I also try to capture the true personality of my subject, including
little quirks that are endearing and unique.  Some times I will add some
background features such as landscape, furniture, or put the subject
in their natural surroundings & habitat. 

Artistic Tools
What is an artist without their tools? My preferred tools of choiced, or mediums if you
will, are professional artist grade colored pencils (mostly Prismacolor and Derwent),

watercolor pencils, pastel pencils, and soft pastels. The reason for my use of pencils,

as opposed to brushes, is control. With pencils, I feel more in control of the fine
details in a painting, which is essential in realistic art.

In addition, when painting animals I often choose suede board as my surface of

choice, and occasionally, velour board. This produces a lovely soft look, which I

think best suits most animals. Other preferred surfaces to work on are Ampersand

Pastelbord, Art Spectrum Colourfix, Mi-Tientes, Stonehenge, and Richeson's Brenda

Mattson Pastel Paper.

Personal
When I'm not painting, I can usually be found with my camera in hand,
stalking animals for more reference shots, searching gardens and
pastures for ideal landscape and floral shots, or at a cat, dog, or horse
show. Time away from my art is usually spent playing with my cats or
spending time with my family.  I live in Shiloh, NC with my husband
Warren, my son Andrew, my brother Donald, and a varied collection of 
cats who have chosen to live with us and who tolerate our presence within
their home (Mischief, Treat, Tooki, Tony, our newest addition Lovebug

(AKA Baby), and other assorted furry critters).

Professional Organization Memberships
CPSA - Colored Pencil Society of America
League of Animal Artists

Artistic Pet Portraits & Animal Art Webring
 

Shows & Exhibitions

Past Shows:

2007 - "Starving Artists" Art Show held at the Arts of the Albemarle Gallery.

2007 - The portrait "Curiosity" was juried into the Regional Art Show "The Art of

Colored Pencils". The show will be held Sept. 2-29, 2007 at Gallery 297 in Bristol, RI.

2007 - Landmark Juried Art Show, Pasquotank Arts Council, Elizabeth City, NC

2007 - Solo show at Muddy Waters Coffeehouse, Elizabeth City, NC

2007 - Solo show at Page After page Bookstore, Elizabeth City, NC

2006 - Art display at the Pasquatank Arts Council, NC

2006 - "Spring in Bloom" Art Show, PAC, NC
2005 - Juried into the "Landmark Exhibition," Pasquatank Arts Council, NC