I have always been fascinated by and have studied a wide variety of animals my whole life which led to a career with horses, horseback riding and teaching the equestrian art of dressage. I began drawing horses, my first true love, at a very young age and with the encouragement of my artistic mother, I expanded and practiced. I won my first art award in 2nd Grade. I had a wonderful art teacher in highschool who opened my eyes to pointalism with pen and ink. I also delved into photography, learning to use a slr camera as a teenager and developing black and white in college. I used drawing and photography as an escape as I developed my horse training and riding instructor business, managed boarding barns and was the director of North Broward Preparatory School’s equestrian program for 6 years. I would occasionally do commissions for friends but for the most part, my art was put on the back burner and the camera was my main artistic outlet.

Then I visited Panther Ridge Conservation Center and enjoyed taking photos of the exotic cats there. One particular photo of a cheetah inspired me to put brush to canvas and thus started a deep passion (check out my first blog to learn more about this!). Soon after, I met Ed, whom I would shortly discover, is the love of my life and with marriage, falling in sync with living in a new household, my art was once again on the back burner. However, that passion to create would not be extinguished. Once settled and secure in a supportive relationship, I found myself in a position to begin to pursue my artistic side with more commitment. I took some on-line classes and practiced. I attended drawing classes at a nearby museum which helped me learn new techniques and sharpen my eye.

I painted. I drew. I started receiving requests to paint pet portraits. I became involved with the local Artist Guild and was able to enter my work in exhibitions which is a big confidence booster. I found I needed more room and made a home studio, giving me a wonderful environment to practice. Even with teaching and training dressage full time, I have still been able to develop my painting and drawing, gaining more confidence in my ability. I found I am particularly drawn to wildlife and love trying to tell a story, capturing expression in each piece. I am looking forward to continuing to grow and develop as an artist and plan on expanding my exposure into more juried exhibitions and art shows.