welcome to my studio!
I’m so glad you stopped by! Here’s a bit of my story …
As a little girl, I’d watch my mom put flowers into vases in magical ways … I wanted to pay attention to beautiful details just like she did when creating those floral arrangements. Her mom was a delightful watercolor painter and avid fan of Bob Ross (who doesn't love the painter of Happy Little Clouds and Trees?). My father is a talented musician and comes from a family of professional ballet dancers. Family reunions were times of performance in full costume regalia and music. My parents have always supported my dreams of being an artist, and for that I am thankful.
I studied painting at Birmingham-Southern, a small liberal arts college. As a senior in college, I painted my first pet portrait and fell in love with capturing the quirks, beauty, and adorableness of beloved furry friends. While diving into my pet portrait career, I became devoted to art history. Feasting my eyes on masterpieces from the past has taught me so much about who I want to be as an artist and what I want to create.
Growing up, when we'd visit my grandparents, I'd pour over their art history books and many of those hefty tomes I have in my home library today. I'm definitely an "art for art's sake" gal, making beauty to adorn our home with is my goal. I went on to acquire a Masters degree in art history at the University of Alabama, specializing in 19th century French art (my Masters thesis was written on Degas' Japanese-inspired Impressionist fans) and Modern art ... can you see those modern Impressionist tendencies infiltrating my work? Monet, Cezanne, and van Gogh are some of my heroes!
After school, my husband and I lived in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York for several years and there I taught painting to adults and children in a historic mill - it was magical! We had our firstborn child there and embraced snow sports ... it was a wonderful adventure! I continued to cultivate my pet portrait career while branching out into other genres.
We returned south before our boy's second birthday and bought a home with enough land to raise a small flock of chickens and honeybees. We dabbled in the egg and honey side hustle for a few years and learned so much from that experience! We also got into gardening and growing native pollinator plants and delighting in butterfly and bee watching during our time there.
I now live in a little cottage in Homewood, Alabama with my husband, two children, dog, and two cats. Though we no longer have chickens and bees, we still delight in gardening and supporting local homesteaders. The journey into the flower world has greatly influenced the nature-inspired pieces I paint today.
My hope is that when you look at my art, you will notice what is special about the ordinary in our world, and that you will feel peace and delight!