A native of Northern Michigan, my interest in art has been life-long. My artistic journey began while apprenticing with a well-known mural artist from New York City, shortly after moving to Marshall, Michigan.
Over the next ten years, I gained experience in color mixing and layout design. Due to the extraordinary level of artistic skill and understanding, my work is located all over the United States. My extensive portfolio includes many recognized murals at The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, The Plaza Hotel in New York City and The Green Brier Hotel in West Virginia, to name a few.
Currently, I have translated this reservoir of expertise and background into my current works of oil paintings. While refining this new form of expression, I have been working under Diane Rath out of Chicago, Illinois and Scott Christensen from Driggs, Idaho. I have also studied with Sharon Griffes Tarr from East Lansing, Michigan, with whom I studied for a number of years and continue to utilize as a mentor. I am a member of the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association and love to paint out in nature. My passion lies within painting the upper Michigan unspoiled beauty. The fresh air and the quietness of the north speaks to me. The beauty of nature inspires me daily. I am a Plein Air Painter because I love to capture the natural senses that nature itself paints with its colors and light. The effect of light reflecting on water just amazes me. I capture that nuance, that essence of a moment in time. In nature, when I really see my surroundings, the contrast, hues, and values come together like a poem. I paint that feeling of being in nature, and often I make a larger painting of that study in my studio.
As an oil painter, my passion is creating my own body of works. My works have been collected by hospitals, business, non-profits and private homes.