I am a Midwestern, impressionist watercolor artist born and raised in Illinois. My interest and love of art began at a very early age. I began formal art training at seven years old under the guidance of Betty Peterson, an accomplished portrait artist.  My art education bloomed under the tutelage of my Libertyville High School Art Teacher, Ross Shellenberger. During that time, I won a National Honorable Mention from the Wieblot’s Scholastic Awards. My winning oil painting was displayed in the Wieblot's National Art Show in Washington, DC.

I went on to college and received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from Northern Illinois University. At N.I.U., I continued my love for watercolors under the teaching of Win Jones. At this point in my life, I had only visited three states: Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. For that reason, my art was and still is greatly influenced by the Midwestern everyday scenes found around me. 

After college, a busy time in one’s life, my priorities became career and family. I rarely had time to actually sit down and paint. However, during this painting hiatus, I was constantly thinking about a style and vision for my art. Finally in 2007, I made the decision to make my art a top priority in my life. I released my passion for art and I am inspired by it daily. In the past, I was lucky to paint one or two paintings a year. Now that I am devoting time to my art, despite a full-time job and a busy family life, I am happy to do almost one painting a month.

I am exploring many avenues in my love as a watercolor artist. I work from my own photography. My watercolors capture the ambiance, vistas, and details of cityscapes, landscapes, and portraits. One can see my evolution from a realist to an impressionist painter over the last three years. This transition has come mainly through the use of new color palettes.  I have freed myself from any boundaries of color usage, letting my creative energy explore the patterning and transparent layering of watercolors. My desire to create is sheer joy and painting is now included in my daily life. I am excited to share my art and I am delighted with the interest of others in it.