A bit on my background……
…… I grew up on a dairy farm in south-central Wisconsin where my love for plants and the area’s agricultural landscape was cultivated. This verdant farmland scenery, with its iconic red and white barns dotting the hills and valleys, provides an endless source of inspiration for me. I find myself returning to this subject matter over and over again. They say if you want to create meaningful work, “paint what you know.” I find much truth in this. I feel fortunate to have grown up in such a lovely place, experiencing all the wonderful things farm-life has to offer. My connection to it runs deep, and so I try to capture my vision of this beauty to share with others who might feel the same.
My first love would be watercolor, which you will find many examples of here, along with some of my acrylic on canvas paintings. I would say that what defines my painting style is a unique translation of natural shapes, colors, and patterns into simplified and idealized images, often on a miniature scale. If I had to give this style a name I would call it “illustrative idealism.” My subjects are usually based on real objects that I interpret with a sort of fairytale simplicity. I want the viewer to look closely at all of the tiny details, and to wish that they could inhabit these happy places.
I hold a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and later received my teaching certification for K-12 art from UW-River Falls. I taught elementary art for ten years along Lake Michigan’s shore, but now am so happy to be starting a new artistic adventure in country life on the other side of the state.