About The Artist

As a girl, I took many road trips with my family, driving from coast to coast and watching the varied landscapes go by. During those trips, my father instilled a sense of adventure and an appreciation for the beauty of any landscape: orchards, cornfields, lakes, mountains, sea coasts, and even barren deserts. Painting and drawing the things I saw became a favorite childhood pass time. After earning a teaching credential from Chico State University, I taught high school English and Art for serveral years. However, my art soon took a back seat to the joys of children and to the demands of the corporate world. Since my retirement in 2006, I have been pursuing my passion for art more fully.

My work is a visual diary of scenes that have inspired me. The close observation needed to render a scene on canvas makes me feel more connected to the place. While living many years in Sonoma County, I was drawn to the coastal hills, the shoreline, and the wonderful vistas of the wine country. In 2011, my husband and I moved to Arnold, CA, in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where we live in the awesome beauty of a national forest. My new inspirations are mountain streams, alpine lakes, Sequoia trees and the constantly changing seasons.

Please visit ART IN THE CLASSROOM.

Many schools today, facing budget cuts, are dropping their Art programs. But many teachers still want to bring art education to their students. To help these teachers, I have started a new project. It is a web-site that provides simple art principles, examples from the Masters and sample lesson plans. Any ideas or lesson plans you would like to contribute will be appreciated.

Painting Outdoors

Below are before and after photos of one of the murals I painted and a plein air visit to yosemite. It was great fun!