Artist Bio:

My passion for painting began 4 years ago by taking a pastel class at Greenbelt Recreation Center in Maryland. I retired from a technical career with the federal government in 2019 and was able to start painting full-time. Painting allows me to convey the love of plants and animals that came from growing up on a farm in Southwest Michigan. I love finding colors in nature and communicating how I feel standing in a landscape no matter if the scene is large like Lake Erie or small like a flower from my garden. There is no formula for what I will ultimately paint, but there usually is a combination of color and shape that envelopes me, creating a calming effect.

Moving to Erie in 2021 expanded the variety of water landscapes for me to experience and paint. Presque Isle and Shades Beach are great inspirations. But the flowers I plant in my yard are some of my favorite subjects. Painting a flower that I planted and cared for feels like an extension of the plant’s life cycle—extending the pleasure the plants give me.