My dad was my elementary school art teacher, and he’s always been an inspiration to me. Watching him paint is undoubtedly one of the reasons I am confident in myself. My parents did a wonderful job nurturing that side of me and showing just how much fun art can be!

Singing was my first love, and for years I expressed my creativity performing onstage. Then I had my first baby. Embracing motherhood meant pausing that chapter, but I still felt the intense need to create. That’s what led me to watercolor painting. Honestly, watercolor was simply the cheapest art supply I could find, but I fell completely in love with it! Eight years later, I’m still learning, improving, and striving to master the art, and my love for it has only deepened.

My favorite holiday is Christmas, but I LOVE the creativity that comes with Halloween! Some of my favorite childhood memories are of the silly costumes my family and I dreamed up together, and I hope to help my kids make those same kinds of memories.

My small family and I have now made two cross-country moves, and it’s been fascinating to see how different the plants and critters are in each new place. I’ve always loved flowers and bugs (from a safe distance!), and those moves sparked my interest in learning to identify them wherever I go. Painting them helped me remember their names, features, and colors. But as I kept painting, I discovered something deeper.

I began learning about the rich symbolism and cultural meanings behind so many insects and flowers; how they’ve helped people celebrate milestones, process grief, mark the seasons of life, and countless more. Now I feel a deep connection to these natural symbols that mirror different facets of my own story. 

I’m grateful to share that connection with others through my art.