My Story

This is my indoor studio, a tiny but very productive space. My "wall of Inspiration" holds some of my work but also some from other artists. I call the space my cocoon...a place where my work is always in a state of quiet transition.

My outdoor studio

Art and animals in the wild were MY passion as a kid. I was an avid fan of Grizzly Adams (you remember, the TV show in the ‘70’s?) and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. I always knew drawing and animals would be a major part of my life. But the true beginning to my story of being an artist is my first art class at age 19….and it was deeply satisfying.

The instructor in this class was gentle, encouraging and explained things really well….just what a young, budding artist with little confidence needed. It was a drawing class using charcoals. I loved the process; I loved the atmosphere of an art classroom; I loved the patient, gentle way in which the instructor taught. And in one course I developed enough confidence to take the next step.

Following my first art class at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, I applied to Massachusetts College of Art….and was rejected for lack of experience. So, I enrolled in the art program at a community college to get some experience and portfolio pieces. While there, I was drawn back to my childhood passion….animals….and I didn’t quite know which profession I was going to pursue. What a dilemma! So, while completing the first year of foundation art courses at Bunker Hill Community College, I began working at a veterinarian’s office, thinking I would take a more “serious” path and study the sciences to become a veterinarian. I then transferred to a four year college as a biology major. I worked hard and did great; I loved all that I was learning, but the itch to be involved in the arts came back again. Oh, what a dilemma! I began pursuing a double major of Art and Science. Finally, while conducting some dissections in my comparative anatomy course, it dawned on me that there were drawings in my lab manual. Somebody had to produce those. Lightbulb! This was a defining moment that changed everything. Unfortunately, no one could help direct me to the proper training. I had to search high and low for programs that fit my combined interests. It was not easy.

This search led me to a graduate program at the beautiful University of California, Santa Cruz. This was no easy feat; the program only accepted 12 students per year. I got in and my world changed forever yet again. I learned how to see as an artist sees. I was exposed to so many new experiences and possibilities. More importantly, I finally gained the confidence I was lacking in all my previous art courses. I finally gained the skills to render objects with accuracy.

Graduate school was rounded off with an internship at Bryce Canyon National Park, followed by a career as a freelance illustrator. That was almost twenty years ago. In my development as a freelance artist/instructor, one common thread has remained. Every step, every new beginning, every success has been based on persistence. I could have given up after the first rejection. I could have settled for a career in veterinary medicine. Neither would have been true to myself. Staying true to my passion and being successful as an artist has required persistence that continues to this day.

Never give up.