For almost thirty years I worked as a secretary/bookkeeper.  Now I’m a full-time painter, but still obsessed with recording all the information.  Whether it’s the subtle colors and individual parts of flowers, the bug-eaten decay of fall leaves, the complex symmetry of butterflies or the intimate views of our landscape—I want it all captured in watercolor paint, mixed media or etchings.  By embracing the details and frequently the imperfections of nature, my work offers a unique, creative perspective.  I primarily focus on the region where I live in Pittman Center, Tennessee—just on the edge of the Greenbrier entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  My studio is full of treasures collected from the forest and river near my home.  (That’s why God made Ziplock bags.)  Lichens, other fungi, nutshells, rocks, seeds, mossy sticks, and flowers—they all go into the gestation of my paintings.  The variety and intensity of color in a dying leaf or the graceful line of a stem, the personality of a dancing blossom—these are nature’s gifts that are all worthy of recording. 

It’s always a good thing if I can channel my obsessive/compulsive behavior and the result is a beautiful painting.  My Cardinal Flower painting is an excellent example of this.  I’ve lived with this flower all my life—it’s a striking image of color and line.  I began the sketch in late summer when the flower is in bloom around my home.  I took living specimens to my drawing board, plus probably 60 or more digital images that I shot of the various details I knew I wanted to incorporate.  (I prepare a free-hand sketch for all my paintings--not from a projected image.)  I finished the final painting in December.  Sometimes I wonder why in the world I start some of my paintings that are so complex, but it’s always worth the effort when you see the final painting.  I pour my soul into it.

The paintings are my babies—I paint them, then dress them up and find good homes for them.  Presentation is extremely important to me.  I use true burl veneer frames—not an imitation burl--for most of my botanical, leaf and landscape paintings.  I believe the burl compliments the subjects I love to paint in addition to offering my customers very high quality.  The matting is archival, and I use Tru-Vue UV Conservation Clear glass.  Again the focus is on quality for you, my customer.

Prints are available in various options--some limited editions and some open stock.  Note cards are also available in four different sets--flowers, leaves, geometric butterflies or individual butterflies.