How long have you been creating?

I have drawn and painted since I was a child. It has always been part of me. When I was a young mother, I painted portraits of my children and other children. So, if you count childhood....about 45 years.

What is your media of choice?

I enjoy trying new things, but always come back to watercolor and ink.....I like the the way watercolor bleeds and flows....and really does it's own thing. I also like the great detail and control ink gives. I also love the feel of pencil and paper as one draws.

What are you motivations for creating?

It is something I must do. I don't think I could stop even if I wanted to. I see pictures in my mind especially when I drive. I love trees and nature and the play of light and shadow. Sometimes I can't sleep because ideas for paintings are coming so fast.

What other artists or movements inform your work?

Recently I attended a gallery show of Monet's works, and other impressionist painters.....Just wonderful.

What do you find visually stimulating right now?

As I mentioned, I like nature, the textures and light and shadows. We live in rural Wisconsin, surrounded by lakes, trees, flowers and birds. I also enjoy figure drawing which is taking a whimsical direction lately, with fairies, mermaids, and angels showing up regularly in my paintings. I like to draw from my imagination. It is relaxing and therapeutic to me......

What's the last book you read?

I read alot. I just finished my bachlors degree in psychology so I've been reading a lot of text books....But for fun and soul searching I just finished "The Creative Call" by Janice Elsheimer.

How do you balance your work with children via art therapy and your personal art?

I mentor children with a significant emotional diagnosis. Kids are great. They certainly keep you in the moment and keep things real. Some of my kids like to draw and paint....some don't. I don't push it. I like to make sure the kids have a sketch book and markers to work with at home. We talk about what they create. We visit art galleries and shows and talk about paintings. Sometimes the kids want me to show them how to draw, and alot of time I try not to. I just let them show me. It is really just a way to be together and have conversation. Some of my kids don't really have an adult who will be there to listen.

My own art work keeps me excited. It helps my stress level, and burn out. It is my own therapy. Everytime there has been an upheaval in my life, it is my art that brings me back emotionally. It is what keeps me centered.

What would you like your fellow EBSQ artists and our collectors to know about you and/or your work?

I have sold art through art fairs, shops and small galleries, party plan and now of course, the internet. I enjoy the excitement of the auctions. It is wonderful to have someone like your work enough to buy it. Learning to market, show and sell my work is almost as much fun as painting.

Keeping up a web site, and learning to use digital photos...is exciting. I belong to several art groups and volunteer time at a local gallery. My goal is to sell wholesale to up scale gift shops...I hope to continue to create my entire life.....I know I will never be bored.