I
create fine art and illustrations to spread joy. I use mostly
watercolor and acrylic in my paintings, but you may find some other
material in my works as well. I love using colored pencil, embroidery,
natural materials, or anything else that adds the texture and depth that
I want to achieve. My illustrations are mostly digitally rendered with
a look that replicates watercolor, ink, and colored pencil. I
was trained in fine arts at California Polytechnic State University,
San Luis Obispo, and received my BFA in 2007.
For the decade after
college, I lived in the Sacramento, CA area creating murals and working
with galleries and artists expanding my artistic practice. Many of the
murals I painted were for schools and colleges such as: CSU Sacramento,
Sierra College in Rocklin, the Roseville City School District,
Sacramento Unified School District, and the Washington Unified School
District. But I also created murals for people's private residences;
businesses such as: Becky's Flowers in Roseville, Agilent Technologies
in Folsom, and Hisui Sushi in Folsom; and city level governments such as
the City of Rancho Cordova. During this time I also exhibited at
several area galleries: Little Relics Gallery in Sacramento, the 20th
St. Gallery in Sacramento, the Blue Line Gallery in Roseville, the Pence
Gallery in Davis, and Archival Gallery in Sacramento. In 2010 I started
working with Suzi Thomas at Paint Misbehavin’ assisting with large
scale umbrella painting for arts and craft shows and festivals. To see
some of the very fun art I make with Suzi go to .
www.paintmisbehavin7.com
In
2017 I Moved with my family to Oregon City, OR and redirected my artistic
focus to Children’s Illustration to allow me to be at home with my two
young children. I have continued to be involved in local arts by
volunteering with Three River Artist Guild to help organize the 2019 and
2021 Oregon City Festival of the Arts. Through the guild I discovered
the local movement to change the Oregon City Mural Ordinance and have
worked where I could within the movement. I was consulted as a muralist
and worked with the Three Rivers Artist Guild to write a grant for
future murals in Oregon City. I recently completed the first of these
proposed murals, a restoration on Main St. of Larry Kangas’ “Trolley
Cars” Mural. I like to keep myself busy, but I still find time to paint
gallery works and commissions.