I used to paint only on canvas but lately I have enjoyed the smoothness of hardboard and how my paints look more vibrant. The smooth surface works great for glazes and layering colors, plus its more afforable! For smaller paintings I sometimes will use gessoed multi-media paper.

Portraits vary depending on the size and complexity. For a single headshot check out my pricing page . For paintings with more than one person, full body or a larger size, please contact me to discuss.

I prefer to use quality reference photos for my paintings. I can easily take multiple photos with different lighting and then take them back to my studio to begin the process. This allows me time to study the subject and what the light is showing me in terms of values, colors and shapes.

I paint the things that I am drawn to and that I think will make a good painting. Not everything I love will make a good painting. I have to look carefully at that. Usually something will speak to me and motivate me to recreate it in my voice on the canvas. When painting a commission portrait, I like to know a bit about the person so I can make a connection with them and bring their spirit to life on the canvas.

There is several categories that my paint style could fall under, terms that are loosely thrown around. Modern Impressionism, Representational, Painterly, Expressionism to name a few. My work is representative of the subject matter and not intended to be realistic. It is more of an expression of color and values, loosely represented with brushstrokes.

As a young girl I was always drawing which led me to art in college. I graduated with a degree in Graphic Design with underlying painting and drawing courses. I painted several commissions and murals after college. Raising a family and running my graphic design company kept me away from the easel for some time. Now with grown children I have connected again to that painterly voice and try to make a practice of painting everyday. I have also found a community of artists and continue to take classes and learn from other artists.

The chaos of the world draws me to create simple, uncomplicated subjects; close ups of a flower, a person, a singular item. I want the viewer to engage in the simple beauty of that one thing and leave all distractions and noise behind for that one moment. I hope the viewer can soak in the colors, layers, and brushstrokes of that painting and connect with something inside of themselves.