I have been painting and printmaking for 25 years. Since I came to live in the New River Gorge region more than 20 years ago, the beauty and majesty of West Virginia landscapes has inspired my work, and my work has been collected by private collectors from all over the county as well as the West Virginia Division of Culture and History. I am a Tamarack Artisan and have been featured in numerous local galleries and restaurants in Fayetteville. I am an active member of the Fayetteville Arts Coalition, the group responsible for bringing arts-inspired events, public art such as the sculpture on Keller Ave and the murals on Court Street, and the popular, monthly “Creative Juices” painting classes to Fayetteville.
In the past 3 years, I have been inspired and deeply influenced by my yoga practice and Tantra yoga philosophy. Yoga supports a lifestyle based on personal integrity: physical, emotional, mental well-being and spiritual growth.
A few months after completing my Yoga teacher training, I was inspired to create a new series in my printmaking. I have always been fascinated by sacred symbols & forms, such as mandalas (Yoga geometric images used to focus the mind during sitting meditations to aid reflection on the universe & self) and garden labyrinths for walking meditations.
I am an accomplished painter, but also studied and practiced printmaking for many years. My ideas seemed perfect for simple geometric forms & textures to be inked on press plates. Using multiple runs through the etching press on one piece of paper, I felt I was creating cosmic textures and overlays of different inks, stencils and inked cut out forms.
Through my studies of Tantric yoga and the deities, I was able to integrate
ancient references and symbols into my pieces in honor of those deities and yoga myths. Another door opens for creative expressions.
Biography
I moved to Fayetteville in 1995 after completing my BS in Botany with minor in Painting at Northern Arizona University. It was the beginning of my love affair with the Appalachia woodlands and river.
Nature and plants are a passion of mine, and I have taken instruction for many years to hone my skills in botanical illustration, painting, printing making and drawing to render my love of nature in diverse styles of 2D art while working for the local environmental group, Plateau Action Network.
Other areas of training & interest include Plein Air painting, watercolor, block printing, etching, lithography and encaustics (painting with wax). My entry for “The Best of West Virginia”, a large botanical watercolor, “Daylilies” was acquired by the West Virginia Division of Cultural and History and in the W.V. Artists’ Registry in 1997.
I was a grant recipient from the WV Commission on the Arts for professional development in 1998, obtaining a Conrad Combination etching/lithography printing press for my studio.
I was the featured artist for Bridge Day 2009 with the painting, “From the Top” as the official poster design. I have been juried into numerous art competitions with the Tamarack Fine Arts Gallery, Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, WV Division of Culture & History, Tri-State Art Association, and the American Society of Botanical Artist.
I now work at my art studio in Fayetteville where I create, work and teach. I also teach painting for the Fayetteville Arts Coalition “Creative Juices” monthly art events on a regular basis.
I have been a long time naturalist and lover of the New River Gorge and its community. I am also an Ashaya Yoga practitioner, recently completing my 200 hour yoga teacher training, and teach yoga locally. This practice is strongly influencing my new, groundbreaking spirit-based artwork.
I completed a graduate-level summer intensive in Printmaking from Marshall University in Huntington, WV.
Other Creative Skills
Painting
