About

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Although I have been painting professionally since 2005, my excitement for art has spanned many more years. In particular I have enjoyed drawing and painting animals – wild and domestic, large or small since my college days. It is a joy for me to be able to depict wildlife in their natural surroundings.

Nearly all of my paintings are in oil or watercolor. Over the years, I have developed techniques that suit my style of realism. I try to portray each of the animals in as realistic a manner as possible…the details of their feathers, the colors of their coats, and the brilliance of their eyes. There is nothing so penetrating and expressive as an animal’s eyes which is why I concentrate on faithfully depicting that window into their world.

I’m fortunate to live in an area of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert where humans have only lightly left their imprint. Wildlife passes near my studio windows at almost any time of day. Hawks and owls nest nearby. Tiny quail chicks scurry after their parents. Jack rabbits and cottontails skip from one bush to the next. Snakes slither out of their rocky hiding places, javelinas, coyotes and even an occasional bobcat amble through the cactus and brush in search of their next meal. It is a magnificent place for a wildlife artist.

Accomplishments

Listed below are several exhibits, awards and workshops where I’ve participated in the last few years:

    • Women Artists of the West (WAOW) 53rd National Exhibition Juried Show, in Newton, Ks., 2023
    • International Guild of Realism 17th Annual Exhibit Juried Show, Santa Fe, NM 2023
    • WAOW 52nd National Exhibit Juried Show, Annapolis, MD. 2022
    • Best and Brightest Juried Annual Juried Show, Scottsdale Artists School 2022
    • WAOW on-line Juried Show 2021
    • International Guild of Realism Spring Salon Juried On-Line Show, 2020
    • International Guild of Realism 15th Annual Juried Show, in Charleston, South Carolina, 2020
    • WAOW 50th Anniversary Juried Show, Tucson, AZ. 2019, President’s Award
    • Holland Center Juried Show, Carefree, AZ. 2nd Place Award, 2019
    • International Guide of Realism 14th Annual Juried Show, Alexandria, VA, 2019.
    • West Valley Gallery Juried Show, Surprise, AZ, 2018.
    • Holland Center Gallery Juried Show, Carefree, Az. 2018, First Place Award
    • International Guild of Realism 13th Annual Juried Show, Santa Fe, NM, 2018.
    • National Arizona Watercolor Society Juried Show, Phoenix, Az., 3rd Place Award, 2018
    • West Valley Gallery Juried Show, Surprise, Az., 2017
    • Holland Center Gallery Juried Show, Carefree, AZ., Best of Show, 2017
    • National Arizona Watercolor Society Spring Juried Show, Sedona, Az., 2017, First Place Award.
    • Workshop Instructor – Northern Arizona Watercolor Society, in Sedona, AZ, presented a 2-hour workshop on watercolor technique on how and why I use Aquabord™ for my realistic wildlife watercolor paintings.

Juried Memberships

  • Women Artists of the West
  • International Guild of Realism
  • Sonoran Art League
  • Arizona Art Alliance
  • Northern Arizona Watercolor Society