Artist's Statement:

My mission is to create unique images that evoke the peace—and the magic—of the natural world. I'm guided by the belief that botanicals inspire, enrich, and heal us.

Biography:

Botanical art has been the heart of my artistic endeavor for some two decades.
I began my career as a high school English teacher. I loved teaching, and I still do. But I also love publications. I went on from teaching to serve educational publishers as a writer/editor, editorial director, and author for more than 25 years.

In 1990, I was pursuing what I thought would be my ultimate calling to the ministry. But I was redirected by a wonderful book on botanical painting, a botanical art class, another botanical art class, and yet another! I left graduate school, began painting, and studied botanical illustration in England and editorial illustration at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. It wasn’t long before my career redirection had become my calling.
After many years in Los Angeles, I now live in my native Ohio. Surrounded by rich farmland and the deeply ingrained Midwestern love of all that grows, I paint through the seasons. I grow my own botanicals or purchase them from local growers. My art is carefully created by hand in graphite, watercolor, pen and ink, and mixed media using time-honored natural science illustration techniques.

I love sharing my knowledge of botanical art by teaching classes and workshops in such inspiring venues as the University of Michigan Matthaei Botanical Gardens, the Toledo Museum of Art, and the Toledo Botanical Garden. I work with both seasoned artists and beginners who have little or no art training; my process-oriented techniques give students a solid foundation for continued artistic development.

My botanical art is available for licensing. I also take commissions for bridal bouquets; gifts; and images created for hospitals, retail establishments, and other businesses. All of my art is created with joy in my Ohio studio where my roots are planted deep!