Biography

Last Updated (Saturday, 30 January 2010 18:47) Written by Administrator

I was born and raised in Marin County and graduated from Chico State in Northern California in 1984, marrying that same year. We moved to the beautiful Napa Valley in 1985 and started a family. My husband Jim and I have two daughters, Nicole and Emily. My career since graduating from college has been in the fitness industry, however, now that my daughters are grown, I have found more time for art in my life.

I have been involved in artistic endeavors my entire life in one form or another, from drawing to jewelry, but never really felt satisfied in my creative desires until I began to concentrate on painting in 2003. Finding watercolors beautiful and challenging, I focused on this medium and began to create paintings using primarily bright colors encompassing florals, wildlife, and landscapes.

My husband enjoys photography and I frequently ask him to take pictures of flowers, birds and scenery for me to paint. I also like to paint from my imagination, filling the paper with vibrant flowers or butterflies and dragonflies, creating something whimsical. Sometimes I’ll push myself to paint something completely different, like a firefighter’s helmet or an unusual still life, so I can continue to grow as a painter.

Painting brings me so much joy and it means a great deal to me when someone tells me that one of my paintings has touched them in some way.

I have been very fortunate as an artist in the Napa Valley to have my work chosen for the 2008  Napa Wine & Crafts Faire poster and to have been a participant in the 2009 Mustard Festival Visual Art Competition. I exhibit and sell my work at the Napa Valley Art Association’s "Artists of the Valley  Gallery” located on First St. in the heart of downtown Napa and several local shows throughout the year.