When you think back to the first moment nature felt like the perfect source of inspiration for you, what memory rises to the surface and how does it echo in your work or in your mind today?
I’ve always been drawn to create, but I started painting with acrylics after a particularly cloudy time of life. I was fortunate enough to have the will to try and make lifestyle changes; so ensued a challenge to myself to find one beautiful thing everyday. The first day of that challenge I looked out the window of a bus and saw the striking contrast of tall green palm trees against a red brick wall. A scene I saw everyday, except this time I remember thinking; “I wonder if I can capture all the different shades of green in that one frond.” The beautiful thing about art is; I get to spend the rest of my life trying.
Is there a species or scene you find yourself returning to again and again? what draws you back?
It’s always birds for me. Birds are what I focused on when I first started painting, and I’ve returned to them as a subject over and over. It started out as a love of painting their vibrant colors and piercing eyes; and you can never run out of different types of birds to paint! Now I find they are an excellent way to showcase Florida’s biodiversity.
As someone living in Tallahassee, how does the local landscape shape your color choices, your textures, or even your mood while painting? Do you see your art as a form of conservation, capturing what might someday be lost, or reminding people of what’s right outside their door?
Absolutely. The Big Bend area is considered a biodiversity hotspot. What better place for inspiration? I am a born and raised Floridian, so I’m sure I’m even more influenced by the region than I recognize. It’s not just home to me, but to the creatures I paint as well. I think a lot of people have familiarity with classic and well known birds, but I hope when people see my collective work they are blown away, not by my painting, but by how many variations of species with whom we share our world. The more people can know about the biodiversity of Florida, the more they may realize how important it is that we protect the land.
What’s the last encounter with wildlife that genuinely stunned you or shifted your perspective?
Going scuba diving in the Keys was such a portal into another world. It was really a reminder of the microcosms all around us and a great practice in slowing down to just notice.
Your work has a quiet intensity with a striking attention to detail, as if every feather or leaf carries a story. What stories do you hope your viewers feel, or do you paint with a specific emotion in mind? What does your process look like between noticing a moment in nature and deciding it deserves a place on canvas?
I tend to gravitate towards stillness in my paintings. I love the moment when an animal is standing still and they’re watching you watching them. There’s an exchange of respect and trust when you leave an animal alone in their habitat and they continue on their path. For me, painting is not my outlet for anger or sadness. There are many artists who are amazing at capturing those emotions and whose pieces speak to me. But I personally tend to paint best when I’m calm and content, so that may come through in my pieces.
What artistic decisions do you agonize over the most and which choices feel instinctive at this point?
Sometimes it is so hard to step away from a painting. If it’s done and you’re overworking it, or if there’s a problem you just can’t fix. I’ve found it’s often better at that point to put the brush down and walk away for the day.
What is the most meaningful risk you’ve taken in your work in the last year and what’s the next quiet dream you’re ready to give a bit more volume?
I have slowly been dipping my toe in the water to put my art out into the world. I told myself 2025 was going to be the year I did a mural; I have now done 7 to date! Applying to be in galleries has been another self appointed challenge. I’m so excited to say that I will be exhibiting in the City Hall Gallery with COCA starting in June, 2026. Hopefully, exhibiting in galleries is something that I can do more and more of in the future.
Markets and community spaces clearly connect you to your audience. What’s the most unforgettable interaction you’ve had with someone discovering your work?
I can’t think of any specific time; I think overall I’m still in the stages of just being pleasantly surprised anytime somebody appreciates what I do!
How do you balance the quiet solitude of creating with the public life of sharing and selling your art?
I love my alone time and spending quality time in nature and painting are both solitary activities. It’s often perfect timing to go back to introverting and creating after a busy market day.
What’s something about being an artist that you wish people understood?
I wish more people understood that anyone can be an artist. So many people say the classic line “I can’t even draw a stick figure!” We all start out at that level. I used to have my stick figures with the legs sticking out from their heads! Whatever your desire is to create, the potential is there for you. It doesn’t have to be perfect or pretty or skilled, it just has to mean something to you.
Is there a subject, medium, or scale you haven’t tackled yet that feels a little intimidating but exciting?
I love trying any medium; I’ve done pottery, wood burning, linocut, watercolors, embroidery, crochet. Expanding the scale of my pieces seems to always be the new frontier for me. I used to only do small paintings until my husband bought me larger canvases to challenge me! I think the next most excitingly intimidating challenge I could think of would be completing a larger scale mural.
What does “success” actually look like for you, beyond the obvious markers?
Consistent opportunity. I will be painting my whole life regardless, but to have a consistent opportunity to show the world my art sounds like a good life to me.