What inspires me?

You probably can make a pretty educated guess just from viewing the subject matter of my artwork. Horses and bunnies thrilled me as a child, and I will confess, there are few other moments in life that make me smile the way spending time with them does now! No matter what stressful things are going on, my bunnies Squirrel and Solstice definitely are a force of good in my life. Solstice in particular has an exuberance rarely paralleled. That's her in the featured photo...if you are like me, you may be finding it hard to resist staring at her over the top cuteness!

Due to my chronic illness, last year I began participating in therapeutic horseback riding. Regaining a regular connection with a real horse has been tremendously healing for my spirit while working on strengthening my debilitated body. My current therapy horse Ladybug is herself a Lyme survivor! Her caring nature and unusual beauty inspires me as an artist, but also as a patient to never give up finding the jewels of life amidst much hardship. I have begun referring to her as my "heart horse," because although I am not her owner, we share a special bond .

Inspirational Locales:

The Mexican Caribbean with its stunning turquoise waters, vibrant flora, Mayan ruins and exotic creatures like iguanas.

New England's coastlines, mountains, and seasons (especially Autumn).

Kentucky's vast fields of white fences and horses.

Auditory Inspiration:

The music of Irish rock band U2. The majority of my best paintings were achieved while listening to their songs over and over and over.

The black-with blue shimmering wings- song birds that woke me up every dawn while in Mexico. Their voices are beautiful enough to make me want to get out of bed as the sun rises. That's saying something!

Gratitude:

Long before this website existed or my art was displayed in New England galleries, I was just a kid with an intense dedication to practicing drawing. I am forever indebted to my middle school art teacher, the talented watercolor artist Luther Kelly Hall. Alongside his teaching of art basics like shading, perspective, and composition, I was given an affirming dose of encouragement. Every aspiring artist needs a fan base; I feel fortunate to have had a teacher who believed in me when I was a mere "pipsqueak."

I am forever grateful to each one of YOU who has taught me as I better learn my craft, encouraged me through the up's and down's, supported me by attending art events, or given me the greatest compliment: purchasing my art work. Your support helps keep me inspired. Many thanks!