Creating has been part of my life since I was a little girl growing up on a farm near Easton in Southern Minnesota. The 7th of 8 children, I remember drawing on the big brown paper that would come on the dry cleaning. Mom would put it on the front hall floor and my younger brother and I would be kept busy for hours! Growing up, my Dad would let me use the tools in his shop on the farm, even though he never had the time to give me the proper instruction on how to use most of them!
I was drawn to art classes in high school, painting sets for plays and knowing I would do something with art in college. I thought it might be interior design, but teaching was meant to be. In 1972, I earned my degree in Art Education from St. Cloud State University where I fell in love with watercolor and my husband! I taught art to elementary and high school students for 13 years.
The passion to paint France began in 1991 after I returned from my first visit there and wanted to share in paint what I had seen. I loved the history-the daily life-the colors and textures. I found the same feeling in the area around Lanesboro, MN, and have painted that part of Minnesota for many years as well.
I have been the recipient of several emerging and career grants from the Southwest Minnesota Arts and Humanities Council and have had many shows throughout the state. In 2006 I was the featured artist in the Reedy Gallery at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum with a one person show called "The Arboretum Through the Seasons" where I shared my self-taught journey in learning plein air painting. Another of my joys and privileges has been teaching watercolor in Monet's Gardens in Giverny France twice, through a program that was called Art Study Giverny. An experience of a lifetime!
Over 17 years ago, after unexpectedly losing my husband of nearly 35 years, as I was trying to find out what to do with my life, the Lord began to give me special paintings that spoke of His love and care, strength and power. They are contemporary yet timeless. These paintings continue to speak to people in ways that I could not have imagined. I know there are more to come...
About four years ago, I thought my painting passion had come to an end-however God had other plans! Upon discovering a canvas that you could use for all wet media, while doing a project for our Arts Ministry at church, a new excitement for watercolor began. In 2016 I was part of a group of 5 artists in a show at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum called "Winter Wonderland-Beauty Revealed" focusing on our interpretations of winter, in which all of my work was on this new canvas! I can't seem to stop exploring my subjects -finding the story in each one. My new work is more colorful, joyful, simple and filled with more light- and I've only just begun!
I am a mother of two and grandmother of four, working out of my home studio just outside the Twin Cities. Almost four years ago, I remarried a wonderful man named Bill and am so happy to welcome into my life his beautiful children and grandchildren as well!