I found a passion for art as a child and have been consistently drawing and painting since third grade. I
didn’t see myself as a talented artist or begin honing my skills until I attended a creative painting
convention in Las Vegas, NV in 2004. That convention woke me up to the artist inside of me and I
started taking classes, improving my skills and techniques, experimenting with different media and
eventually teaching small, intimate painting classes like the paint and sip classes you can find all over
today. That is how my journey began and I am excited to see where it goes from here.

I would not call the road a smooth one, although it all depends on what other roads mine is compared
to. As with most businesses there are ups and downs, and while the ups are great the downs, although
difficult, are opportunities to determine what priorities are and where I should concentrate my time and
efforts. I have spent most of my working life wearing many hats and juggling multiple responsibilities,
which has taught me to be efficient and a good problem solver. It has also brought me to a point in my
life where it is time to whittle them down to a manageable quantity that will allow me more time to
focus on and build up the opportunities where my passion lies.

Art, in its many varied forms, and the joy and it brings to people whether they are producing it or
viewing it. I have had the pleasure to see the delight and surprise in someone’s eyes when they draw or
paint something they never thought they could do. Being creative stirs something inside of us, whether
it is with pencil or paintbrush, the written word, metal, wood, computer code or any other medium. It
wakes up the soul to the possibilities of being more. It fills me up to encourage those I teach to try and
trust that they can, to build up their self-esteem and see them have courage to push beyond the fear of
embarrassment to make something that only they could do. When I produce a commissioned piece of
art and the person receiving it is moved by it, when they laugh or cry with heart felt memories and hold
it close to their hearts, I am fulfilled and eager to do more. Through art I have learned to see and
treasure the beauty and uniqueness of the people and world around me. It is who I am.