I have been drawing and painting since I could hold a pencil in my hand at the age of 3.
One of my very first memories as a young girl is when my teacher, Mrs Judy Griffith, saw my gift and supplied me with colored pencils to help inspire me to create. Because of this memory, I have always been drawn to helping young people who have a special gift, in any of the arts.
Another of my most meaningful memories helped seal my connection to horses. When I was young we lived in a trailer park in Warren, Oregon. Behind our park was a large pasture with around 4 horses who lived there. One of our favorite things to do was to feed the horses the long, lush grass that always seemed to be only on our side of the fence. One beautiful spring day, I was playing outside and noticed that the black horse was caught in the fence. My first thought wasn't to go get help, or let a grown up help the horse; my instincts told me to run over and help it. So that's what I did. I ran over, slowly pushed the horse's hoof back through the square in the fence, and stood there breathless as the horse ran off, back up the pasture. This is the one defining moment in my life that made me realize what I wanted to be doing in the years to come.
From that day forward, horses have had the biggest place in my heart, and I started drawing and painting them.
In my 60 some years of life, animals have always had a huge influence in my creations.
Around 2005, I did my first commission, then my second. I was on my way!
I took a few art classes at Clark College in Vancouver, WA, along with Photoshop, Graphic Design and Illustrator. I came up with my name and started advertising in 2006. I did my first Mural then, and started advertising and marketing across the country, and started building my portfolio to what it is today.
I've had ups and downs along the way, but the one thing that has stayed mostly constant is my love for animals and my gift. I seem to be able to bring them back to life in a special way, and I believe it is because of the connection I've always had with animals. The love that I have for them seems to go through my hand onto the canvas in a way that is hard to explain.
I have met some wonderful people on my journey. The clients I have met are very special to me, because of their love for their special creatures, and many of them have become my greatest friends.
I love being able to bring loved animals back to life for my clients and friends, it brings me great joy.
