My favorite subject in school was art, and my favorite medium became photography. The school provided a 35 mm camera and the use of a dark room where I became enmeshed in techniques to develop black and white photography and where my love of photography not only began, but blossomed. Nature provides much of my inspiration. I love the colors, the textures, the look of wildlife, plants, landscapes, and vintage objects. The eye of an animal, the dew on a rose, or the old garden rake left in the yard, provide a simple beauty captured by my camera. In those utensils of times past, sometimes overlooked by others, allow me to see a different side of them. My mother modeled creativity. She sewed, knitted and crocheted all kinds of artistic yet functional objects. I believe she could crochet snowflake ornaments with her eyes closed! Her tenacity in making useful objects out of “pieces of string” instilled in me a desire to keep myself busy but in a different way; a way of looking at the world through a lens In 1995 I enrolled in a series of private classes involving American Folk Art Painting and began to paint on wood, canvas, spoons etc. Those classes led me to try my hand at stenciling, and then I began to paint items for myself but also as gifts for friends and family. Along the way I learned to do a little beading and then tried my hand at watercolor. I’ve taught many classes in American Folk Art Painting, Stenciling, Beading and Watercolor/Line & Wash Watercolor. Although I have experimented with many different areas of art, the one area I love the most is photography; but the common denominator for all of my art work involves the beauty and the wonderful mix of color found in whatever medium I am using. Color makes me smile.