Q: What's the first piece of art you ever made that you were truly proud of?
A: There has been a tonalist thread running through my mostly impressionist body of work. My first inkling of the power of tone (also called values) was in 2001 when painting outside with my friend and teacher at the time, Brigitte Curt. I had started with an under-painting, after it dried I was about to begin applying color when she came up behind me and yelled, "STOP! Trust me, you are finished. Start another painting because this is a powerful painting that speaks to the future of your work."
I wasn't sure at the time what she meant, but I stopped and started another. I brought the piece home and set it aside not sure what to do with it. "Ode to Percy Gray" was the little piece. It was the first time that I realized I actually had a creative bone in my body. The first time I felt that I had a voice and something to share with others. The first time I got goosebumps with one of my own paintings.
I wrote a blog piece that speaks about what gives me goose bumps:
Q: Do you have any rituals or habits that get you into a creative flow?
A: When I go out on location to paint, I slow down, stretch a little, breath deep. I want to allow Mother Nature to speak to me before I try to force her to say something to me. For my studio practice, I will walk through the sliding glass door and say loudly "Hello studiooooo!"
Q: If you could have dinner with any artist (living or dead), who would it be and what would you ask them?
A: This is a tough one. There are so many, but I would have to say at this moment in time I would be so very grateful to spend any amount of time with George Carlson. Here is a wonderful article on him and his work":
Meet George Carlson, One Of The Best Nature Artists On Earth
It is difficult to put into words how his work makes me feel. All the traditional elements are there, design, color, draftsmanship, in all three mediums that he is a master in, bronze, pastel and oil. It goes so much deeper than that for me. There is a spirituality in his mark making, in bronze, pastel and oil that emanates from within. I would love to find out more about his personal spirituality, how he has stayed so true to his vision, and would like to know what his struggles have been.
Q: What's a book you think every creative person should read?
A: I just finished a novel that speaks volumes about creativity, life and relationships. I felt and related deeply to the life lessons and creative spirit Backman writes about. My Friends is a 2025 novel by Fredrik Backman that tells a dual-timeline story about the powerful, transformative bond of teenage friendship, art, and found family, following an 18-year-old artist named Louisa as she seeks the story behind a famous painting that connects her to a group of friends from 25 years prior. The book explores themes of trauma, loss, and healing through humor and heartbreak, and has been praised as a moving tribute to friendship.
Q: What's the piece you're most attached to and could never sell?
A: For sure the first painting I mentioned above, Ode to Percy Gray. I framed it and gave it to my parents many years ago. I'm lucky to live close by them and, gratefully, am able to check in on it LOL.
There are two paintings that I've sold and have a yearning to have help on to them even though I know they are in the best of collections. It is a good thing they are not here though, because with their absence is allows for new inspiration and ideas to flourish instead of thinking my best is done.
The first is called Azure Wonderland. This piece is packed with memories for me from 2015. It is based on my travels to Mt. Carmel Utah and the Maynard Dixon Country. It won an incredible award, garnered the cover of Art of the West magazine, and was soooo fun to paint. I am honored and grateful to know the collector, but sometimes... LOL.
The other painting is recent and is called Baby It's Cold. This piece has a similar story to the Azure Wonderland with awards, memories of visiting my mentor Skip Whitcomb just outside of Ft. Collins CO.