I believe Frida Kahlo said it best when she stated, "The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration."

I've known since elementary school that I love to create art. When I won first place in oils for my grade and age division in junior high and gained recognition for the first time, I began to think of myself as an artist and to consider a career in art. After years of study that includes not only formal training at the College of the Redwoods, the Mendocino Art Center in California, and the University of Nebraska, but also classes with nationally and locally known artists. I know that I paint because I must. My paintings have found their way into numerous art showings throughout, as collections, both personal and corporate, in the United States and as far away as the University of Helsinki. I have been an active member of the artistic community in Lincoln, Nebraska where I served as President of the Lincoln Artists Guild (1994) and as a board member of the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs.

Early pioneers often chose to settle in geographic regions that most reminded them of the homes they left behind. I believe that as human beings we have an organic connection to the earth that helps to shape who we are. As a Nebraskan, I am a product of wide open spaces and big skies. This might help to explain why I returned home after having lived in both Montana and California. Although I work in a variety of media and enjoy exploring different ideas and themes - I am drawn to landscape painting. I have been a member of a Pleinaire group for several years, and I feel that the best way for an artist to understand color and color relationships is to paint directly from nature. I love the challenge of making immediate color decisions that correspond with the subtle changes in light and shadow as they happen.