Biography

I have always been drawn to horses and dogs, and drawing pictures. The Black Stallion series and Will James’ western stories were favorites, not only for the stories but also for the wonderful illustrations. An interest in wildlife and landscapes didn’t come until several years later when my family moved to Kemmerer, Wyoming. And even later I was drawn to Ireland, its history and landscapes.

I was born in Wyoming but moved away from there while I was still a young girl. It wasn’t until we returned to Wyoming my senior year of high school that I was introduced to the mountains and the wildlife they contained. The first weekend there, Dad took us on a drive out to what is now Fossil Butte National Monument. It was a late summer day; hot, dusty and dry. Then we saw them just up the hill, a small band of mustangs. We watched them. They watched us. The stallion was dutifully between us and his mares and foals. Beautiful, wild, free -- and then gone in a cloud of dust.

Within a year I had determined that perhaps all those years “playing” at drawing horses would be useful after all. I was going to be a wildlife artist! I began seriously working on this goal in the late 70’s and continued fairly actively until about 1986. During these years, I entered several art shows and displayed some of my paintings in the galleries in the area. It was also during this time that I started a family of my own and my art began to take a back seat to raising my family.

My daughter’s activity with her horse several years later rekindled the love I had for drawing horses. I began sketching again. These sketches led into doing small portraits for friends. More to the point, I started seriously thinking about my goal to work as an artist again.

After my family had moved on I began seriously pursuing my art once again. I took a a gamble, quit work and went to Ireland to study at a small art college for a year. This fed both my desire to work on my art as well as learn more about that landscape and history of Ireland.

Back in Washington State now, I’m excited to build on the learning and work I did in Ireland, as well as to return to my art roots by pursuing animal art and portraits.