To the question of my favorite color as a child, I responded, “Plaid!” I have been energized by color for as long as I can remember. Color, whimsy and art make me smile. My 4th grade teacher was a certified art educator and inspired my connection to art at that early age.
I majored in art education in college and earned a masters degree in curriculum and instruction. I owned an art gallery and frame shop in Waco, TX for 6 years, moved to the Troup County area in 1992 and began a teaching career in Chambers County Schools, AL. After teaching art at Valley High School for 7 years, I lost my hands through amputation. I did, however, return to teaching for 5 additional years and presently am director for the Alabama Art Education Association of their “Hooked on Art” Advocacy Program.
I began with a specialization in oils in college, but after amputations, I have turned to water-media as my specialty. As you might imagine, I have had to re-learn techniques, adapt tools and media for ease of use and extend my time limitations. I work much slower than before, but my senses of and love for creating has increased. I am still driven by color, drawn to nature, and desire to improve. Working under internationally acclaimed watercolorist, Diane Maxey, I learned a new dimension and excitement for watercolor that has served to encourage and inspire me in the last few years.
