My Inspiration

My inspiration comes from all around us. All of what I have seen, explored and become. My art is built upon a lifetime of experiences, adventures, observations and feelings. Each mark I make carries all of my heart and soul. It carries the energy and expression that surrounds and manifests in all things.

Experiencing the wild

Waking up to howler monkeys singing through the jungle canopy of Costa Rica. Swimming with sea turtles in the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Watching a black bear feast on berries while enjoying my morning coffee from the window of me Western NC mountain home. A simple walk in the forest to the feeling of sand between my toes on a sun soaked beach.  I watched fish swim through a creek in the deserts of Death Valley. I've seen the night sky ignite with the light of a thousand galaxies in Joshua Tree. Stood in awe of the giant sequoia trees, basked in the glory of  the red rocks and fell in love with the majestic bison on the plains of Yellowstone. Each experience deepening the connection I have with nature, myself and my art.  Adding purpose to the mark I make, more richness to the color I choose and more joy to what I create.

My Process

It all starts with the surface. I use a heavy sanded pastel paper designed to grip and hold the soft pastel. The paper comes on a giant roll, as big as me (now I know what you're thinking. I may be vertically challenged but still. A roll as tall as me!) First we mount the paper to board. This has three main advantages, it gives me a very firm surface to work on. Second, it prevents the paper from warping, wrinkling  and bending over time, and finally it adds stability and structural support for framing these large works under glass.

The final touches

Once the painting is complete, it is sprayed with a non-toxic, all natural casein based recipe used by Degas. It’s the only formula I have found to keep my colors exactly as I painted them.  Several layers of a light mist are applied over the course of an hour or so, giving proper time for each layer to completely dry before applying the next. After several layers of fixative the pastel is set and ready to be framed. Back to the frame shop it goes to be finished in a soft gold frame. A spacer is placed between the painting and the anti-reflective art glass to preserve all the texture and archival qualities of the soft pastel medium. Thanks to the pure pigments of the pastels each work of art will be forever as vibrant as the day it was brought home.

  • Galleries & Shows

    Art in Bloom - Gallery at Flat Rock - Flat Rock, NC - Sept 2023 - Juried Group Exhibition

    Solo Exhibition - White Side Art Gallery - Cashiers, NC - Aug 2023

    Art Santa Fe - Santa Fe Community Convention Center -Santa Fe, NM - July 14-16 2023 - Curated Art Fair

    Wild Muse: Animals in Art - Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center - Solomons, MD June - Sept 2023 - Juried Group Exhibition

    Solo Exhibition - White Side Art Gallery - Cashiers, NC - June 2023

    Southeastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) — Charleston, SC — Feb, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 - Juried Art Fair

    Whiteside Art Gallery – Cashiers, NC – June, 2021 – Current

    Lucy Clark Gallery – Brevard, NC – Feb, 2021 – Aug, 2022

    Four Western Women - 4 Corners Gallery at the Tucson Desert Art Museum — Tucson, AZ — Nov — Dec 2018 - Group Exhibit

    Wild - Danville Art Gallery — Danville, CA — Jan — Feb, 2018 - Group Exhibit

    Pando Fine Art - Park City, UT – Feb, 2017 – June, 2020

    SEWE — Live Painting and Auction — Charleston, SC — Feb, 2017

    All Creatures Great and Small - 4 Corners Gallery at the Tucson Desert Art Museum — Tucson, AZ — Nov — Dec, 2016 - Group Exhibit

    Gallery 43 — Roswell, GA — Nov, 2016 - Mar, 2017 - Group Exhibit

    All creatures Great and Small - Gallery at Flat Rock — Flat Rock, NC — July — Sept, 2016 - Group Exhibit

    Art Spark — Live Painting and Auction— Brevard, NC — August, 2016

    Red Wolf Gallery — Brevard, NC — May, 2016 — Jan, 2021

    44 Main Gallery — Brevard, NC — April - May, 2016 - Solo Exhibit

    Pigments of the Imagination — TC Arts — Brevard, NC — March — April, 2016 - Group Exhibit

  • Publications and Accolades

    Jury Award for Outstanding Work of Art - The Way of the Mother - Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center - 2023

    International Artist Magazine — Feb/March Issue 149 2023

    SEWE 2023 Event Guide - Feb 2023

    Fine Art Connoisseur — Jan/Feb, 2017, 2018, 2022

    Pastel Society of America — Juried Member

    The Laurel of Asheville — Oct, 2018 - April, 2021 - Oct, 2021

    SEWE Art Book — 2017, 2018
    Western Art Collector — Feb, 2017

    Southwest Art — Jan, 2017

    The Laurel of Asheville — Cover Artist — October, 2016

    Bold Life — Mar, 2016 - July 2016 - Aug, 2016 - April, 2022

    B.F.A — Savannah College of Art and Design — 2006