A Little About Me

Artist Statement

I’m an artist. A mountain biker, a writer and a dreamer. But mostly I’m an ordinary woman with an extraordinary willingness to let my imperfections shine. I believe our flaws are what make us beautiful and mysterious, and my artwork is my joyfully imperfect expression of a singular thread in the amazing tapestry of our world. A lifelong love of nature awakened anew when I began participating in 24-hour mountain bike races and I was able to see the wonders of the natural world through the full cycle of day into night into day. After injury forced my retirement from these events, I stumbled across painting as a means of expressing the intense beauty of what I had experienced out in the woods on my bicycle.

I prefer to paint smaller works, frequently focusing on miniature paintings, and I’m often asked why I paint so small. Having struggled most of my life with post-traumatic mental illness, I’ve experienced firsthand the isolating stigma frequently associated with that type of diagnosis, and the general sense of being overwhelmed, made invisible and swallowed up by life itself as a result of the disease. In my tiny paintings – many under 25 square inches - I find a special sense of comfort in the infinite beauty of the minuscule, the unnoticed, the smallest things most of us all too often overlook or miss.

One thing I’m discovering through therapy is that there’s frequently a lot of unseen beauty hidden in those tiny spaces where hope tends to hide away, and I try to give that beauty and hope a voice with my paintings. These tiny paintings take the overwhelming vastness of everything and spiral it down into a tiny space, a “thin place” as an artist mentor of mine calls it, a place of quiet refuge I can hold in my hand, an area of peace and calm to carry with me.

My primary focus is on the landscape since the untamed natural world speaks to me in a way that comforts me the most, and I paint with various media depending on what the painting wants, but oil pastels and soft pastels are what I’m mainly drawn to because of the intimate contact between my hands, the pastels and the painting surface.

Miniature art has a multitude of rules and regulations it must meet to qualify as true miniature, and these very strict guidelines and boundaries themselves also provide me with a source of comfort and stability in their own way. The intense focus needed to put a high level of detail into such a small space brings me back into myself as a tiny piece of the whole of Nature.

The American poet, Allen Ginsburg, best expressed my feelings on painting miniatures when he said "An unnoticed corner of the world suddenly becomes noticed, and when you notice something clearly and see it vividly, it becomes sacred."

A miniature usually takes as long or longer to produce as a large painting, with a result which can be magnified many times and still hold together as a fine work of art. Creating tiny paintings is a painstaking and meticulous task, but one in which I discover a unique sense of tranquility and respite. It's my way of honoring the smallest and least among us.

I take inspiration for these small works from the beauty of Mother Nature all around us, but I’m also inspired by dreams as well as the quirky personality and lively spark in the eyes of an animal. It is my privilege to share my love and respect for our natural world through my artwork. One thing I rediscover every time I paint is that each moment is magical and precious. It’s my sincere hope that my artwork brings you some of the same joy and peace I feel when creating it and inspires you to find the magic in your every day.

Exhibits and Awards

• Art Exhibit, Pullen Arts Center, Raleigh NC, 11/5/2022 - 1/21/2023

• Meet the Artist, East Regional Library 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Knightdale NC, 10/4/2022

• Meet the Artist, Northeast Regional Library 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon, Wake Forest NC, 9/28/2022

• Meet the Artist, North Regional Library 2:30 - 3:30 p.m., Raleigh NC, 9/7/2022

• Solo Art Exhibit "Stories Mother Nature Told Me", Kirby Cultural Arts Center Downstairs Main Gallery, Roxboro NC, 12/1/2021 - 1/4/2022

• The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS) International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, The Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda MD, 11/21/2021 - 1/8/2022

• 30th International Miniature Art Show, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head NC, 5/1-31/2021

• The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. (MPSGS) International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature, The Mansion at Strathmore, North Bethesda MD, 11/22/2020 - 1/9/2021

• Miniature Paintings Exhibit, Sertoma Arts Center, Raleigh NC, 10/15 - 12/28/2020

• Virtual/Video Interview and Exhibit of Miniature Landscapes, "Stories Mother Nature Told Me", Garner Performing Arts Center, Garner NC, 7/16 - 8/30/2020

• 29th International Miniature Art Show, Seaside Art Gallery, Nags Head NC, 5/2-30/2020

• Solo Exhibit "Short Stories Mother Nature Told Me", Nature Art Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh NC, 3/1-31/2020

• Landscapes for All Seasons, Wake Forest Guild of Artists Group Exhibit, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 12/6 - 1/30/2020

• Nature Art Exhibit of my waterfall paintings and demo for Nature Day, South Mountains State Park, Connelly Springs NC, 9/28/2019

• Artists Care, Wake Forest Guild of Artists Group Exhibit, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 9/27 - 12/5/2019

• Town of Wake Forest Sewer Structure Public Art Project for greenway beautification, done as a team with Steven Kaufman, Dunn Creek Greenway, Wake Forest NC, 7/2019

• Greenway Award, Cary Paint the Town En Plein Air group exhibit, Cary NC, 5/4 - 6/7/2019 ("Across Lake Crabtree From Black Creek")

• On Common Ground, North Carolina Statewide Juried Pastel Exhibition, Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory NC, 5/4 - 8/18/2019 ("Through My Lens - Self Portrait"), Juror - Lyn Asselta

• Small Treasures Juried Show, Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary NC, 3/29 - 4/19/2019 ("Phantasia"), Juror - Eric McRay

• Art With Heart, Wake Forest Guild of Artists Group Exhibit, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 2/1 - 4/4/2019

• National Arts Program Annual Exhibit Raleigh/Wake County, Miriam Preston Block Gallery, Raleigh NC, 12/5/2018 - 2/15/2019 ("Pensive Soul")

• Southeastern Pastel Society Online Members Exhibition, 10/2018 ("Magical Soul"), Juror - Kay Ridge

• Solo Art Exhibit, Kirby Cultural Arts Center Upstairs Gallery, Roxboro NC, 6/1 - 8/31/2018

• Fine Arts League of Cary 23rd Annual Juried Exhibition, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary NC, 5/16 - 6/30/2018 ("Pensive Soul"), Juror - Dan Campbell

• On Common Ground, 7th Annual North Carolina Statewide Juried Pastel Exhibition, The Art Shop, Greensboro NC, 5/11 - 6/12/2018 ("Ginger Wonderland"), Juror - Liz Haywood-Sullivan

• Cary Paint the Town En Plein Air group exhibit, Cary NC, 5/5 - 6/1/2018

• People and Places of North Carolina, Wake Forest Guild of Artists Group Exhibit, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 5/4 - 7/5/2018

• Solo Art Exhibit, Wake County Justice Center, Raleigh NC, 2/14 - 5/8/2018

• Featured Artist in the Winter 2018 issue of 27587 Magazine

• Southeastern Pastel Society Online Members Exhibition, 10/2017 ("Splash"), Juror - Junko Ono Rothwell

• North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh NC, 10/2017

• Two-person Art Exhibit, WakeMed North, Raleigh NC, 9/29 - 11/30/2017

• Dedication Ceremony for Dr. Bill and Merrie Hedrick Homestead at Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve, Raleigh NC, 9/22/2017

• Pure Color, Pastel Society of North Carolina Online International Juried Exhibition, 9/1-30/2017 ("A Time For Us"), Juror - Lyn Asselta

• Two-Person Guest Artist Exhibit, The Market at Three Little Birds, Clayton NC, 8/5 - 11/10/2017

• Wake Forest Guild of Artists Summer Arts Showcase, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 7/23/2017

• Pastel Demo, Sugar Magnolia Cafe & Emporium, Wake Forest NC, 6/23/2017

• Pastel Demo, Sugar Magnolia Cafe & Emporium, Wake Forest NC, 4/29-30/2017

• Wake Forest Guild of Artists group exhibit celebrating North Carolina, Renaissance Centre, Wake Forest NC, 3/22 - 5/5/2017

• Two-Person Art Exhibit, Clayton Visual Arts Center, Clayton NC, 12/1/2016 - 1/3/2017

• Plein Air Painters' Group Showcase, Artspace, Raleigh NC, 12/2/2016 - 1/28/2017

• 3rd Place Intermediate, National Arts Program Annual Exhibit Raleigh/Wake County, Miriam Preston Block Gallery, Raleigh NC, 11/30/2016 - 1/13/2017 ("Once In a Lifetime")

• Southeastern Pastel Society Online Exhibition, 11/2016 ("Scordatura"), Juror - Patsy Lindamood

• Pastel Demo Artist, Art of the Carolinas, North Raleigh Hilton, Raleigh NC, 11/12-13/2016

• North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh NC, 10/2016

• Meet the Artist Presentation, Northeast Regional Library, Raleigh NC, 9/18/2016

• Meet the Artist Presentation, East Regional Library, Knightdale NC, 9/12/2016

• Solo Exhibit, East Regional Library, Knightdale NC, 9/3 - 12/31/2016

• Solo Exhibit, Northeast Regional Library, Raleigh NC, 9/1-30/2016

• Fine Arts League of Cary Art Exhibit, Searstone Retirement Community, Cary NC, 6/2 - 8/30/2016

• On Common Ground, 5th Annual North Carolina Statewide Juried Pastel Exhibition, Hickory Museum of Art, Hickory NC, 5/21 - 8/21/2016 ("A Song of Hope"), Juror - Elizabeth Mowry

• Cary Paint the Town En Plein Air group exhibit, Chocolate Smiles and Johnson's Jewelers, Cary NC, 5/8 - 6/7/2016 and Cary Arts Center, Cary NC, 6/8-10/2016

• Solo Exhibit, "Fun Size Landscapes", Northeast Regional Library, Raleigh NC, 5/19 - 6/30/2016

• Guest Speaker on Plein Air Painting, Wake Forest Guild of Artists, Wake Forest NC, 4/19/2016

• Small Treasures Juried Show, Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary NC, 3/24-4/23/2016

• Fine Arts League of Cary Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary NC, 2/24-4/23/2016

• Spring Forward Juried Show, Tipping Paint Gallery, Raleigh NC, 3/4-26/2016

• Pastel Society of North Carolina Member Show, Ambleside Gallery, Greensboro NC, 2/5-27/2016

• National Arts Program Annual Exhibit Raleigh/Wake County, Miriam Preston Block Gallery, Raleigh NC, 12/2/2015 - 1/15/2016

• Fine Arts League of Cary Member Show, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary NC, 11/18/2015 - 1/3/2016

• Southeastern Pastel Society Online Exhibition, 11/2015 ("At Day's End"), Juror - Sharon Weiss

• Pastel Demo Artist, Art of the Carolinas, North Raleigh Hilton, Raleigh NC, 11/13-15/2015

• North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh NC, 10/2015

• NC Open Plein Air Paint Out, Salisbury NC, 8/14-15/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary group exhibit, Litmus Gallery & Studios, Raleigh NC, 8/7-28/2015

• Featured Guest Artist, The Artists' Loft at Wake Forest Coffee, Wake Forest NC, 7/5-8/8/2015

• On Common Ground, 4th Annual North Carolina Statewide Juried Pastel Exhibition, The Art Shop, Greensboro NC, 5/16-6/16/2015 ("Ghosts of Fallen Leaves"), Juror - Teresa Saia

• Cary Paint the Town En Plein Air group exhibit, The Cary Theater, Cary NC, 5/6-26/2015 and Cary Arts Center, Cary NC, 5/28-29/2015

• Eggistentialism 2.0 Juried Show, 311 Gallery, Raleigh NC, 5/6-29/2015

• Paint the Town Plein Air Paint Out, Southport NC, 4/24-25/2015

• Small Treasures Juried Show, Cary Gallery of Artists, Cary NC, 3/27-4/18/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary Annual Juried Art Exhibition, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary NC, 2/25-4/18/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary group exhibit, Cary Ballet Conservatory, Cary NC, 1/23-4/24/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary group exhibit, FALC Office, Cary NC, 1/7-4/8/2015

• Neuse River Plein Air Painters group show, Sertoma Arts Center, Raleigh NC, 1/4-2/28/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary Member Show, Page-Walker Arts and History Center, Cary NC, 11/19/2014 - 1/4/2015

• Fine Arts League of Cary group exhibit, Glenaire Retirement Center, Cary NC, 11/10/2014 - 2/27/2015

• 1st Place Amateur Pastel/Drawing, North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh NC, 10/2014

• Wake Forest Tour of Artists, Sunflower Studio & Gallery, Wake Forest NC, 9/6-7/2014

• Pastel Society of North Carolina Member Show, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh NC, 9/5-28/2014

• Chicken Art Invitational group show, Randolph Arts Guild - Sara Smith Self Gallery, Asheboro NC, 8/5-26/2014

• Featured Guest Artist, Storyteller's Bookstore, Wake Forest NC, 7/11-8/7/2014

• Eggistentialism group show, Tipping Paint Gallery, Raleigh NC, 4/1-26/2014

Professional Memberships

• Pastel Society of America

• The Miniature Art Society of Florida

• Alabama Miniature Art Society

• International Association of Pastel Societies

• North Carolina Plein Air Painters

Art Instructors/Mentors: Addren Doss, Karen Vernon, Rick Bennett, Kimberlee Maselli, Dan Nelson, Karen Margulis, Robert Sloan