Growing up, I liked art as much as any other kid. I was certainly not a prodigy child, but I did like creating. It wasn't until I was in my 9th grade art class with Mr. Sykes that I really started to find my "inner artist." I was lucky to be surrounded by classmates who cared about completing the assignments well instead of blowing them off because it was "just art class." Although my writing is complete chicken scratch, I really seemed to excel at calligraphy, so much so that Mr. Sykes encouraged me to try a more complicated style of calligraphy. Later that year, he encouraged me to try oil painting, and I never looked back! I knew that I wanted to stick with art because it was one of the few subjects that had the potential to challenge me for the rest of my life (that's how I personally saw it at least).
Knowing that I wanted to teach and share my knowledge, I decided to major in Art Education at Penn State. Most of my classmates seemed to choose the same major because they wanted to be able to make a living while pursuing their own art careers. I never had that intention. I enjoyed art and loved sharing the experience with others, and that was enough for me at the time. Shortly after graduation, I moved to the DC area and taught at a Montessori school, then a middle school, and then a high school. I would still paint occasionally. I started attending local art events. Every time I went to see the local artists, I kept thinking "I could do this, why am I not doing this?" Then in the spring of 2010, a former co-worker asked me to join the artist cooperative that she was forming in Occoquan, VA. I was so excited! And nervous! So I started to produce, produce, produce. That phone call was definitely the spark that I needed. In July of 2010, I opened a shop on Etsy, and I joined the Art A La Carte Gallery in August.
As you can see, I love bright colors! I seem to have developed two distinct styles in my paintings, and I don't see myself ever settling on just one style. I enjoy variety too much, which is probably why teaching art suits me! I sell originals and prints because I want to provide art for everyone, no matter what your budget is.
