Artist Profile

My art combines two of my greatest loves: exploring beautiful wild places on foot and drawing with a paintbrush. When I am out scouting places to set up my easel, I am searching for a combination of two things: an intriguing natural subject that speaks to me on a literal level mixed with a sense of light and atmosphere that tugs at me emotionally.

I was lucky to grow up in South Lake Tahoe with miles of wilderness, mountains, lakes and creeks literally in my back yard. I then came to Santa Barbara for college and again experienced living in a beautiful setting, this time with oak woodlands and the Pacific Ocean and met the love of my life, Lauren. We have two daughters who also enjoy drawing and being outdoors.

The fun challenge for me as an artist is to try to capture the light and mood of a particular moment at a location that moves me. I like to hang them on my wall as a visual reminder to visit those places again soon.

I have taught art for almost 25 years at Dos Pueblos High School and have been lucky to be able to share something that I have loved so much with young people.

I love that art can be used as a tool to awaken people to the beauty and importance of natural environments and can help raise resources to protect wilderness.