My love of color, texture, and spatial illusion all originate in the flat and sometimes severe land of central Illinois where I was raised. As a child, I literally played in the dirt, and was an observer of the land and the seasons. I was the fourth child out of six born to my parents. They had also grown up on farms, as did their parents and grandparents before them.

This connection to the land defined me, even while it was in my nature to eventually leave it. I have always followed my heart in life and in my work. I have been lead to many forms of expression, including my abstract paintings and prints, smaller landscape paintings done in the Southwest U.S., portraits of our best friends (pets), home interior color consulting, and self-written and illustrated books for children and adults.

I have been a professional artist since 1979, when I finished my M.F.A. in printmaking and B.F.A. in painting, both at the U. of Illinois, Champaign. My work has been shown in galleries and museums in Chicago, New York and throughout New England. I have been awarded a number of grants and fellowships: the State of Maine Individual Artist Fellowship, N.E.A. Individual Artist Fellowship, Roswell Artist-in-Residency,Roswell, New Mexico, Percent for Art Grant for a permanent installation at the U. of Maine Library, Portland,ME.

View my resume.