Expressing myself through art has always been an important part of my life. After earning a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from Auburn University at Montgomery, I worked in commercial illustration and advertising. Later on, I became interested in painting portraits and attended the John Howard Sanden National Portrait Seminar and several American Society of Portrait Artists seminars where I learned from artists such as Nelson Shanks and Daniel Green. Recently, plein air painting - "painting in the open air" - has become my passion. I believe painting from life has taught me some of the most valuable artistic lessons. It has taught me to observe true color, light and shadow and I find there is a lesson in every painting.

To me the painting experience is enriched by the challenge of capturing a scene quickly as the light and clouds constantly change and by the influences of the sounds, sights and smells painting from life brings. I never get tired of being outdoors while creating art.

I love to paint the things with which I am familiar. I study scenes I pass by frequently and observe the effect the light and seasonal changes have on them. Some sights stop me in my tracks and I have to paint them - pale green leaves against a purple thunderhead, the golden light of autumn on a landscape in the late afternoon, billowy clouds on a summer blue sky. My subject may be as common as my backyard, the view from my car window on the way to work, or those places I cherish - the countryside, gardens and landmarks of Alabama. Each season, day and hour brings a completely new picture to be painted.

I also love to elevate the simple and ordinary - for example, a pumpkin, a strawberry, a piece of candy - and showcase it in a small painting. This process focuses me and, I hope, the viewer on seeing the beauty in the common, everyday things in life.

I prefer to use oils because of the buttery texture and richness of color they provide. I also choose to use a limited palette to achieve harmony in color and I am forever amazed at the wide range of hues a few colors present. I hope to share with you my love of nature's beauty through my paintings.

I hope my work inspires you to look for the beauty of the world out your own window and to hold dear the value of time that fleeting light represents.