I studied art by night at SMU in Dallas while working as a graphic designer by day. I graduated with a BFA in 1979, with an emphasis on painting and a minor in art history. The art department in the 70s was old school - a rigorous classically based system, which included life drawing, printmaking (including stone lithography), color theory, and group critiques. As a young artist, I honed my craft as well as developed a useful thick skin. It was a strenuous curriculum, and from it I formed bonds with and have affection for my professors, painters Deforrest Judd, Jerry Bywaters, Dan Wingren and Steve Wilder. Printmaker Larry Harris, photographer Deborah Hunter (a strong feminist presence) and Dr. Alessandra Comini, the dowager of the Art History Department - all informed and inspired my work, as well as my work ethic. After graduation, a plush job offer was accepted as graphic designer and photographer for American Airlines, working to create both a monthly magazine for employees of their subsidiary, Sky Chefs, as well as collaborating with the editor of the in flight magazine to provide graphics and photography. It was a job that offered perks, the most beguiling being free travel anywhere in the world. I took full advantage of the opportunity. Ultimately, I left AA to travel extensively on my own, to the South Pacific, West Indies, South America and Europe, finally landing in New York to study art at NYU and manage an art gallery. Living in New York, creating street video pieces, curating works by talented artists and craftsmen, and soaking up the art and energy of the city was an education in itself. In 1987 I moved to Los Angeles and opened Atmosphere gallery on La Cienega Boulevard.There, I represented contemporary artists and featured furniture created by Bauhaus artists, as well as decorative arts from Vienna, Germany and France. I was painting still, but poured much of my creative juices into showing a collection that inspired me and which was quite eclectic. My knowledge of early 20th century art served me well. I was featured in articles and loaned pieces to the Museum of Modern Art for various decorative arts exhibitions on Bauhaus, Art Nouveau and Deco/Moderne. In 1988 I attended the Sotheby’s auction of Andy Warhol's estate in New York, purchased a few of his decorative art treasures, and wrote an article about my experience titled “Selling Andy,” which was published in Art In L.A. Magazine. A move back to Texas in 1992 reacquainted me with my roots. Having lived in New York and Los Angeles, as well as in Europe, it was culture shock, but also a creative awakening. The undercurrent that was hidden within me - a primitive sense of memory that took hold, began to influence my art. I began painting again in earnest and with a vengeance. A group show in 2000, “Three Women, One Show,” had a lasting affect on both the beginnings of making a name for myself regionally, as well as setting me on a course that still informs my work. Three of my paintings were displayed in the entry of the show - all horses that I had decided on a whim to paint in blue. All three sold that night. I began to paint larger works in more expressionistic, gestural forms - horses bucking or twirling - running full speed forward, twisting. It was important for me that there was not just movement, but wild, unbridled gestures, the better to throw large brushes into and splatter the paint. I attached brushes to long sticks to keep the drawings loose, and the bigger the brushes and longer the strokes, the more successful the paintings. In that mode, my work evolved. I acquired gallery representation and have had very successful shows over the years. “One Hundred Horses,” “Shelter,” and “Ritual,” all one-woman shows, were reviewed well and heavily attended. I have also been in many group exhibitions, some featuring blue horses, others featuring my abstract oil paintings on canvas. A group show titled “Body Language,” inspired by life drawing, which I have continued since college, exhibited my figurative studies - on paper and canvas, and my bronzes have been included in sculpture collections as well. Deer paintings, skulls, antlers, bones - landscapes inspired by the meadow that surrounds my studio - all large oil on canvas pieces - are at the core of what informs my work, and I continue to experiment and evolve. I have a large warehouse studio in downtown Dallas as well as a studio on our family ranch near Glen Rose. In these spaces, which I have transformed into personal sanctuaries, I create pieces that are inspired by my love of the land and the wildlife on it. It is in the heart of the country that I find the primitive elements that inspire me. My horses are always there for me, and the color Blue! in the big, surrounding sky.