November/December 2005

I graduated from the Northern Illinois University School of Art with a degree in art education in 1997. Since that time, I became a full-time mother of two beautiful girls and have only recently pursued my art career. My husband, children, and I moved to Keene, New Hampshire in 2002 after living briefly in Seattle, Washington and Evanston, Illinois where I think I gained my love for one of my favorite subjects: coffee shops.

I enjoy sitting and watching life happen around me… the sunlight moving through the park, people rushing to get to work… I think for me a huge part of being an artist is this fascination and excitement we feel for things that are just ordinary. Most of my artwork contains figures incorporated in scenes. If you add a figure in a scene, it turns into a moment in time – rather than just a pretty picture. If successful, my drawings should feel like a memory – something the viewer has seen or been a part of before – like when you get so engrossed in a movie, it takes a couple of minutes for it to wear off.

My preferred medium is colored pencil on Art Spectrum Colourfix primed paper. The use of these materials along with a soft layering technique allows for a vibrant softness not traditionally associated with colored pencil paintings; more reminiscent of pastels. I am grateful to find a medium that I both really enjoy and that is compatible with my lifestyle. I am an active member of the Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) and am currently the Webmaster for my local chapter. www.cpsa112.org

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