StatementA studio in the Hot Shops Art Center is not so much about the finished formality of art than it is about the sweat and mess of making art. It is a place of collaboration and curiosity – both of which spark my work. My own compassion and sense of wonder are tempered with humor and an earthy realism - a creative and spiritual vision informed by both childhood farm life and grown-up city dwelling.What enriches my life and art is helping others discover their own creative gifts – be they disabled, gifted, young or old. Service work as a teaching artist with WhyArts or the Girl Scouts in the Omaha area often includes projects with those who are the underserved, hovering at the edges – the very young or the elderly, special needs, at risk, or refugee.My work as illustrator includes fully illustrated texts, calendars, teaching materials, and many published titles. The artwork has been used to illustrate musical and dramatic texts for multi-media performances. My own book, Choose Your Days, is expected in 2016 from Cinco Puntos Press.As a fine artist there have been exhibits in such diverse settings as commercial galleries in the United States and Italy, schools, churches, the Nebraska Governor’s mansion (2015) and in public collections such as the University of Nebraska Medical Center School of Nursing and School of Public Health. There is enormous gratitude for having work in private collections throughout the United States and internationally.I use art to help give voice to others. Art is the language of my work: to delight in beauty and to share the human experience are aspects of that language. It is the artist's duty is to pay attention to the wonders and possibilities of the world and, in particular, to their own mistakes.