My artwork

For over 40 years I have been drawing and painting my surroundings. I have been fortunate to have exhibited my work in several galleries and Midwest juried art shows.

I love the transparency of watercolor as well as the opaque, painterly quality of soft pastels. One of the best things about pastel is that my finger is my tool; I can manipulate the pastel and actually feel the medium while applying and working with it. I have discovered that I am as much a tactile person as I am a visual one.

I have actively sought out places and objects to be the subject of paintings but have also "happened upon" a subject -- by chance. I think these instances have inspired some of my best work.

Sunflowers  -  watercolor — **Sunflowers - watercolor**

These sunflowers caught the sun in a way that broke the foliage into fascinating, fragmented shapes.

Prairie Flowers  -  pastel — **Prairie Flowers - pastel**

These coneflowers were growing along my garage and I noticed an interesting shadow cast on the pale wall. Painting on a dark background gave them a more dramatic effect.

"Bear" -  watercolor and colored pencil — **"Bear" - watercolor and colored pencil**

View From the Past  - watercolor — **View From the Past - watercolor**

I've been to Living History Farms many times but on one occasion, I walked past the "town attorney" office and noticed that the decorative carving above the window is an exact replica of some of the turn-of-the-century buildings in downtown Des Moines that I admire.

Passing through the kitchen, I noticed the vase of tulips I cut from my yard earlier in the day. I was struck by the reflection of light on the glass and the interesting shadow cast on the counter.