I am a self-taught artist who has been drawing since childhood and painting seriously for decades. My practice spans oil, gouache, and mixed media collage — and what keeps it alive is the willingness to follow wherever a piece wants to go.

Sometimes that means adding a torn scrap of paper to shift the color or texture of a painting in a way I couldn't have planned. Sometimes it means painting a cardinal on vintage sheet music, or a mushroom emerging from a forest floor, or a pig standing cheerfully among wildflowers. I love nature, animals, portraiture, and humor. My goal in every piece is to stir something — wonder, warmth, a smile, or that particular feeling of stopping and just looking.

Before I was an artist in the professional sense, I spent 35 years as a hairdresser — a career that, perhaps surprisingly, taught me everything about balance, composition, and color. I bring that close attention to my studio practice, along with a deep respect for the process of learning by doing. Oil painting I've studied through workshops. Gouache and collage I've learned entirely through trial, error, and stubborn curiosity. My guiding motto is: learn the rules, then break them.

I make art because I believe the world needs beauty, humor, and moments of genuine delight — especially now. I want my work to offer a small respite, a place where someone can exhale and remember that lovely things still exist. I sell original paintings and greeting cards through my Etsy shop, CloudscapeArts, and I am actively growing my practice toward gallery exhibitions, art licensing, and larger-scale work. I am based in Louisville, Kentucky.