As a young girl growing up in a tiny town in rural eastern Kansas, surrounded by wheat fields and farms, I spent some fond evenings drawing little pictures for my Grampa. He liked them so I kept drawing. At age 9, my family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin. When I joined the Girl Scouts, my talent for drawing emerged and my fan base grew to three as my troop leaders gushed over my rendition of a witch that would ultimately earn me a drawing and painting badge. I couldn’t get enough of my crayons and colored pencils. By 8th grade I was begging my mother for any kind of art kit. Straight As in high school art came easy.

After graduation I headed to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh where I worked hard on drawing, design and my social life. Once my degree was safely in my desk drawer, I landed my first job laying out catalogs and drawing technical illustrations of farm machinery, undoubtedly a subconscious call to return to my Kansas roots. Corporate graphic design positions followed where I was able to use my illustration skills for marketing, advertising and packaging projects. Twelve years of corporate life came to an end when I was downsized and subsequently launched my freelance design business.

For over 20 years, I've worked as a freelance designer/illustrator and fine artist, growing as an artist and expanding my capabilities to the level of creative director. My unique vision combined with super great organizational skills (no brag, just fact) have led to many long-term relationships with clients. More and more, illustration and art have emerged to become the direction and focus of my work.

Inspiration for art comes from many places but has a foundation in love, freedom and nature's creations. Many times, I take common themes and reinterpret them in traditional but unusual ways. A love of antiques and nostalgia will sometimes influence elements of my work. The process generally starts with the vision, morphs into a period of angst about the details, and then after some deep breathing, moves into a zone where something takes over my hands. Whatever the inspiration, this is the work I'm meant to do.

The art always begins with a pencil drawing. From there, I let the inspiration determine which medium will be used in the final art. Watercolor, colored pencil, acrylic, oils and digital media are all toys in my sandbox. Original drawings and paintings, giclée reproductions, greeting cards and bookmarks featuring my artwork are available for purchase. In addition, I create works on commission and license my artwork for selected products and uses.

When I'm not playing with art, I enjoy losing poker games to various members of my large family and hanging with my daughters. Otherwise, I’m digging in my gardens, finding excuses to use power tools or singing for anyone who will listen.

And, for a daily dose of inspiration, I take a nice long powerwalk around the neighborhood ~   a neighborhood which, lucky for me, just happens to include Lambeau Field, home of the Superbowl XLV Champion Green Bay Packers.