While always interested in art, I never picked up a paint brush until I turned 40. My very talented aunt Muriel gave me my first painting lesson; she taught me to recognize that inspiration is all around, encouraging me to “just paint.”

Though I am largely self-taught, I have been fortunate to receive some formal training at the hand — and easel — of my wonderful teacher Pat Hidson, an accomplished Wisconsin artist.  For the first year of my lessons with Pat, I didn’t even touch a paintbrush; I practiced drawing (in many different media) the variety of still life tableaux she would compose — her encouragement to practice, practice, practice is something that I’ve taken to heart.

I draw a great deal of inspiration from my time spent on coastlines — Cape Cod, Ireland, and Lake Michigan – as well as from the garden.  While many of my earlier paintings are in oil, gouache and watercolor, I’ve recently begun to work in acrylic.  I am fortunate enough to spend part of my summers on Cape Cod, where the ocean changes every day, and those color studies fill more than a few sketchbooks….