Who Am I?
A free-spirited, independent woman and creative maven!  

Painting and drawing have been a constant presence in my life since I was 11. My parents gave me a sketchpad as a Christmas present.  I filled the entire sketchpad with drawings during that Christmas break and it opened the doors to creativity.  Blessed to have found my passion at a young age, I am so grateful my parents encouraged me to explore and develop my talent.  I received numerous art awards in high school that led to an art scholarship at Buena Vista University, Iowa. I explored acrylics, photography and watercolor.  Upon graduating I moved to Chicago and fulfilled my dream of teaching and continuing my education at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago. At 26, I was selected to be one of 10 international artists to study advanced watercolor painting found in the beauty of Italian landscapes.  Upon returning to the States, I became involved as a board member of Gallery 37 — an arts program for high school students where I developed a mentoring program exposing students to the world of advertising.  As a young child growing up in the farmlands of Iowa, I had dreams of seeing California. That dream became a reality in 2001 with a move to sunny San Diego. Fast forward, life happened and I took a departure from my passion for 10+ years. I picked up my brushes in 2015 at a painting workshop in Portland and the fire within me was lit again. That same year, I was selected to be one of 20 educators in the US as a Golden Paints Educator solidifying my commitment to share my love of painting.  A solo show in 2017 opened the door again to creativity. I find inspiration for my work with exposure to the natural beauty of the West Coast - the florals, landscapes, trees and the ocean.  When I'm not in my studio, I can be found painting along the coastlines.  I drop my canvas on the sand and create to the whispers of the ocean, breathing in salty air with sunshine as my source of light.  I'm also a certified yoga instructor which weaves in my interest of the human figure and movement into my compositions.  Combining this love, I have been honored to collaborate with brands such as Lululemon, Kira Grace and AVEDA.   

My painting offers up a truly heart-opening experience - one that honors intuition, self-discovery and embracing uncertainty.