I have been an artist ever since I can remember. My first experience was visceral and visual as I grew up in an idyllic German town surrounded by woods, fields, lakes and a river. Just down the street from my house was a lake which I learned to swim in during summer and then learned to ice skate on in winter.  In the fall, I hid in haystacks: in the spring, I picked buttercups and cowslip flowers from the wild field. The outdoors was my holy play ground. Unusual, but I din't have any art supplies as a child; in fact, I didn't hold a pencil until first grade. What made a huge impression was the ink fountain pen and working on penmanship lessons in a special book.  The teacher allowed us to color in the loops created by letters - I'd say this line and color activity was my first art-making experience and I was hooked.  I was also impressed by the stitching lessons I received, and therefore still enjoy creating crafts of all sorts.

 

Another art epiphany hit me around 3rd grade when I went on a school field trip to view the King Tut exhibit in Munich.  I remember feeling awe and wonder at all the large and also intricately small gold and lapis lazuli objects. This may have been an aesthetic awakening and appreciation in me for man-made creations.  My first love was nature though, created by God.  

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My art is influenced by many things - flowers, fields, skies, bodies of water, (abstractions of these), animals, art history, various art styles & world cultures - Japanese brushwork, impressionism, prehistoric art and more.

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I change up media all the time. I'm always curious about trying new materials and techniques.  I attended art school and earned a degree which gave me vast knowledge, experience and community.  I've often read books or watched videos to learn new methods.  I'm greatly inspired by other artists - past and current.  I feel blessed to live a creative life and to teach others to find joy in the artistic process.