About Me
My mother is an artist, and I wanted to be one since I was 4 years old. I had the privilege of private lessons while in middle and high school. I majored in Fine Art while at Our Lady of the Lake College in San Antonio, Texas before it went co-ed. I also attended Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana where I received my BS in Advertising Design (pre-computer) in 1973.
Marriage and four children later, I became a stay-at-home mom for the next 33 years. We lived in the country near the mouth of the Mississippi River – about 65 miles from the nearest stoplight. What a blessing to be so close to nature. We could drive along the road and take pictures of pelicans, gulls, herons, and a multitude of wading and shore birds right from our car window. My creative outlets at that time were quilting, cake decorating, baking, the occasional watercolor and local business graphic commission.
About 7 years ago I began using computer graphics software. Learning from the manuals alone (pre internet subscription) was a real challenge and took quite awhile. But, slowly, it all began to make sense. It was fun to use our bird photos to make greeting cards for family and friends. Local restaurant menus, church newsletters, camp and church logos, and the occasional brochure and flyer were my introduction to the world of computer graphics. Now computer-based graphics are as much a part of my life as email and ice cream.
About 3 years ago my husband, Phil, gave me a set of 120 Prismacolor colored pencils for Christmas. What a joy! I could sit on the sofa near him as we watched TV and draw to my heart’s content. I am so grateful for that time we had together as he was very ill from congestive heart failure. The evacuation from Hurricane Katrina was just too hard for his heart, and he passed away soon after. His tools, our Bibles, the computer, my sewing machine, and the Prismacolors were all we could save.
Now, I’m living in Tulsa, OK to be near 3 of our children and 3 grandchildren. The Lord has a new course for my life, and it seems to include the art which I so dearly love and enjoy.
Color and light have always fascinated me. Color pencil allows me to introduce a multitude of color with the use of layering. There is a smoothness and a soft sheen so reminiscent of oil paints without the mess or smell (allergies). The computer just does not convey the luster of a finished color pencil drawing. You will understand when you see the finished product.
There is something in each of us, and even our pets, which is unique to us. Whether it is that “Divine spark” or something in our personality that shines through, I try to capture it in my drawings. I hope you will be as pleased as I am to see your finished portrait.
