A Little About Me
On location at Abrams Falls, Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park working on a plein air painting.
Working out of my studio near Columbia, Tennessee, I am quite at home with the beautiful lush countryside of the Tennessee hills. My love of art, animals, and nature were apparent at a very early age, and I could frequently be found with a pencil or other drawing tool in hand. A native of Michigan, as a youth I was active in Girl Scouts and 4-H where I showed Arabian horses.
At Michigan State University in Lansing, MI, I received my license in Veterinary Technology, and an Associate of Natural Sciences degree at Mott Community College in Flint, MI. My art training consists of basic high school art classes, plus two basic drawing classes, and a two dimensional design and sculpture class at the community college. Aside from these classes, I am primarily a self taught artist.
A change of work venue brought my husband and me to Tennessee, where I joined the Tennessee Art League (TAL) in Nashville, TN and began my career as an artist. I served as Vice-President, Membership Chair, and Historian at TAL, the oldest artist co-op and gallery in Nashville.
I have had numerous commissions for custom pastel pet portraits, murals, landscapes and pastel people portraits, and a majority of the Miscellaneous Paintings are also commissioned pieces. I work with photographs as a reference for the portraits, as most are a gift, with each piece being hand drawn in charcoal first. Then I apply layers of soft and hard pastels to give the colors for the finished piece. The pastels are not sprayed with a fixative, as they tend to lose their highlights and detail.
I must give all credit and glory to my God for blessing me with these talents. There is truly no other possibility for it, and when I paint I am totally in His presence. It is such a wonderful feeling, and I wish everyone could experience it! To learn more about Jesus, salvation, and walking in His presence, you can visit The Bridge Church, which has recorded sermons and other information available, or you may simply call 1-800-NEED-HIM. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you!
At Michigan State University in Lansing, MI, I received my license in Veterinary Technology, and an Associate of Natural Sciences degree at Mott Community College in Flint, MI. My art training consists of basic high school art classes, plus two basic drawing classes, and a two dimensional design and sculpture class at the community college. Aside from these classes, I am primarily a self taught artist.
A change of work venue brought my husband and me to Tennessee, where I joined the Tennessee Art League (TAL) in Nashville, TN and began my career as an artist. I served as Vice-President, Membership Chair, and Historian at TAL, the oldest artist co-op and gallery in Nashville.
I have had numerous commissions for custom pastel pet portraits, murals, landscapes and pastel people portraits, and a majority of the Miscellaneous Paintings are also commissioned pieces. I work with photographs as a reference for the portraits, as most are a gift, with each piece being hand drawn in charcoal first. Then I apply layers of soft and hard pastels to give the colors for the finished piece. The pastels are not sprayed with a fixative, as they tend to lose their highlights and detail.
I must give all credit and glory to my God for blessing me with these talents. There is truly no other possibility for it, and when I paint I am totally in His presence. It is such a wonderful feeling, and I wish everyone could experience it! To learn more about Jesus, salvation, and walking in His presence, you can visit The Bridge Church, which has recorded sermons and other information available, or you may simply call 1-800-NEED-HIM. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I would love to hear from you!