I’m a true Washington native, born and raised in this
beautiful state near the wonderful beaches of Lake Washington. My first sketches were of family
members while on vacation at the ocean. It rained the whole weekend
and there wasn’t a lot for a nine year old kid to do in a cabin with no television
or gadgets to play with in 1979! That is where my love of drawing began. From then on,
anytime I needed something to do, my parents would say, “draw
something!”
I was fortunate to have a great art
teacher in High
School to learn the importance of light and shadows from and inspire me. I attempted to pursue it more in college, but was only able to get into one
drawing class,
which didn’t amount
to more than sketching piles of junk. Life took its twists and turns and I ended up going to
school to become a certified dental assistant. Several years later I returned to work at the
same college, teaching in the dental programs I had once studied in. Working with
the students and patients while getting to use my artistic skills was fantastic. I consider it an
important part of my journey in becoming an artist. So much of dentistry is very
artistic and crafty in nature, so this suited me quite well for many
years.
Though I truly loved this career, I was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis, a disease which affects your nerves) in 1995. After struggling to find ways around it for the next 5 years, at
the recommendation of my doctors, I had to make the tough decision to retire- at
the age of 30! Not long after that, I lost several beloved family members
to terminal illnesses. I did learn extremely valuable lessons from those hard years however: to truly appreciate the many small
things and moments in life that we so often take for granted and to "live in the now!"
I went
through training to be a peer counselor helping others cope with the difficult
changes in their lives due to suffering similar nerve damage and did volunteer work for a while. It was a time of
healing for me, though I couldn’t help feeling like something important was still missing
from my life.
One afternoon a friend was over and saw a few of the drawings I had done as a teenager. He
insisted that I begin drawing again and commissioned me to do an original
piece. It took me several days of staring at that large piece of paper on
my coffee table and several attempts before I could finally touch the charcoal
to the paper, but once I did, I began finding myself again. That was in
December of 2005 and I have been drawing and painting since!
I was given the advice once to express my
own life through my artwork. It wasn’t an easy concept at first, but I
believe it was the key to unlocking my imagination and true spirit. The goal I have
for my artwork is to show the passion in my heart for life and all of
its wonders and special moments, whether they
are happy or sad, exposed or hidden, real or in our dreams. In
doing so, my hope is that the viewer will feel and connect to their own
emotions, memories, and creativity.
I am currently studying the field of forensic artwork and will be taking classes soon in composite drawing (witness interview), age progression, and post mortem reconstruction. I am very intrigued and excited to gain these new skills. I hope that my years of experience in the dental field will compliment this new area of study and that I will be able to help others by combining my skills and knowledge in these areas.
Where will my artistic journey take me? The answers are waiting to be
discovered! My favorite motto/quote is, “It’s the Journey, not the
Destination!” I look forward to new opportunities to share my art with the
world and the new friends I will make along the way. Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit
more about me. I hope you enjoy my artwork as much as I enjoy
creating it!
Upcoming Shows/Exhibits!
***GEORGETOWN ART ATTACK*** March 13th, 2010. 6-9pm
25 of my original drawings on display and for sale!!!
5628 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA (In the old Rainier Bottling Building)
June-August 2010 My Artwork will be on display at Nucleus Salon/Gallery! 621 Queen Anne Ave N. Seattle, WA
Exhibitions/ History:
2008 August MSA Annual Art Show, Seattle
2008 June Pioneer Square Art Walk
2008 May Wallingford Seattle Art Walk
2007 September Puyallup Fair Art Show (juried) -Drawing "In My Dreams..."
I’m a true Washington native, born and raised in this
beautiful state near the wonderful beaches of Lake Washington. My first sketches were of family
members while on vacation at the ocean. It rained the whole weekend
and there wasn’t a lot for a nine year old kid to do in a cabin with no television
or gadgets to play with in 1979! That is where my love of drawing began. From then on,
anytime I needed something to do, my parents would say, “draw
something!”
