My Story
I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and developed the " art bug" while attending Martin Junior High School in the seventh grade and continued to take art classes throughout my years at Needham Broughton High School, as well as private lessons.
I applied to UNC- Chapel Hill in 1980 only because my brother had cute fraternity brothers ( no lie). While I was there during my freshman year, I knew I was not in the right place. I greatly missed art in my life, so I transferred to East Carolina University in 1982. What a fabulous art department they had! I knew early on while taking art classes that I wanted to teach art. I graduated in 1985 with a B.S. in Art Education, with a concentration in Painting.
I was hired by Statesville City Schools, the hometown of my then-fiance, and now my husband of 32+ years, Tim. I taught elementary art for 8 years, Middle School for 18 years, and ended my teaching career at the high school level for 6 years - all in Iredell County. I also taught many, many years of private art lessons and summer camps.
Upon retiring over the summer of 2020, and during the pandemic, I returned to painting. It was
( and still is) very therapeutic for me. I have always enjoyed painting, but with raising two boys and working full time, I had little time or energy....until now !!!
I have given all but 7 paintings shown on this website as gifts to others. There are stories behind each of my paintings. I have had 10 commissioned works, the last one was a watercolor commission of the ARP Church's sanctuary in Statesville, completed in August 2024 Upon completion of The Bird Rock Coffee Roaster., in 2020, I realized," I can do this !!!" I love bringing joy to others and knowing that the receiver will be able to enjoy the depicted scene/image forever. Spending money on art is not like spending on a new outfit, which will eventually go out of style. Art is forever!
I have also recently returned to my true passion - teaching. I teach a group of 7-10-year-olds after school, as well as a group at the Senior Center. I will be teaching small groups of all ages this year.
So.... with all that has been said, I am available for commission work and/or teaching.. My specialties are watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting. Pricing will be determined by the selected media, subject matter, and size. I will work with you to come up with fair pricing.
Please email me and/or call me to discuss what your heart desires for me to paint for you, your friend or your loved one.
704-880-2983