Biography I was born in Wilmington, N.C. After graduating from college, I moved back to Charlotte and had a successful career painting faux finishes and murals. In 2008, I began studying under Andy Braitman and Susan Matthews and found my true passion...oil painting. Artist Statement Every work of art tells a story...what story will it tell you? Because I love to express myself through art, the landscapes I paint are the places that cause me to take a deep breath...that take me away, that make me happy. My vision is to use color and texture in order to give the viewer a "mini vacation." The main inspiration for my work is the low country, but other areas I have traveled such as Vancouver, San Francisco and Napa have conjured ideas as well. I create color and texture driven paintings on a medium to large scale. My work has an impasto style, and I use the palette knife liberally. I also appreciate beautiful brush strokes, and combine all these elements in my finished paintings. It is a joy and a challenge to experiment with color, and I do so by switching between a full and a limited palette. I usually begin with a colored under painting; my goal is to achieve a derivative abstract interpretation of life. As the painting progresses, sometimes happy accidents create interest that could not have been planned. Painting is my therapy...When I’m at my easel, all my troubles fade away. Putting oil on canvas has been a life changing experience.