Artist Highlight

          I am a native Texan, but have since lived all over the US and Canada. I nurtured my love of art with a BFA in Design at Abilene Christian University, and went on to cultivate my creative interests at Syracuse University with an MFA, dabbling in all kinds of studio art. 

          Before diving into the world of Mixed Media, I worked as a creative photographer and teacher. I taught traditional photography practices to young and old alike, always fascinated by the tricky manipulations one could accomplish in a darkroom. 

         While others taught composition, landscapes, and portraiture, I found myself more interested in the stories one could read into the artwork and encouraged my students to experiment with the process. Each picture represented more than a photograph, illustrating a fantastic world one could dream into and experience. It was while assisting in various Digital Photography workshops that I really got turned onto the idea of combining media into a whole new art form. As I encouraged a group of adolescents to add ephemera to their portraits in order to further represent their ideas, I was inspired! I got ahold of an old photo and a bottle of Tacky Glue and was off! While my process today has gotten away from relying solely on photography as a physical base to my creations, I continue to look toward found photographs as inspiration for new characters, stories, and illustrations. 

          I currently tend to my growing creative business where my mixed media collection, The Freckled Army, has come to fruition and continues to expand. My work is considered both whimsical and inspirational as I strive to contribute my own peace, love, and light to my community.