In Her Own Words…

My life as an artist is an unlikely and early one.

When I was in elementary school, my sister gifted me a horse encyclopedia for Christmas. I geeked out about it. It was the perfect gift for an equine-loving book nerd. Before long, I started sketching different horse breeds, and I knew I was onto something when my dad showed one of my drawings to my uncle.

It was also apparent my obsessions weren’t mainstream. I grew up on a dairy farm in a remote place in Idaho that you won’t find on a map. I spent a lot of time reading books, sketching, wading in the creek by my house, and sitting in the fields with our ranch horses. I also loved sports and turned to competitive basketball and running in high school. I was the kid that didn’t fit any particular social circle.

A high school teacher was instrumental in helping me secure an art scholarship, and I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in oil painting four years later. Life quickly morphed into new dimensions with my husband and our expanding family. Art started to be hit and miss, although I’d pull out the paints and have art days with my kids once in a while. After moving all over the country, we decided to return to Wyoming and raise our kids close to family.

Around this time I decided I wanted to return to school for interior design. We were building our first home and I wanted to do it well. I squished four years of study into two with three kids under my feet. I found another passion and ran with it, this time starting my own interior design business.

Art wouldn’t go away lightly. If it’s in your blood, it’s in your blood. I did apprenticeship work for Scott Christensen and painted with the late Dave Wade, who both encouraged me to keep painting. With the help of an amazing business coach, Kim Kuheubl, I created space for an intentional painting day once a week. That was over a decade ago, and my practice is still going strong.

I’ve competed each year in our local plein air contest, continually seek out education in the arts, and share my love of art with younger generations as a substitute art teacher in the high school.

“Creativity is not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human. It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.” – Rick Rubin