My inspiration comes primarily from my faith. In addition, my family; husband Drake, sons Isaac and Josiah, and daughter Elise provide tremendous support and encouragement. I also find that I use my background in dance, nursing, music and theater to more fully explore each subject that I paint. Having traveled and lived in South America, Asia, and Europe, I delight in varied landscapes, cultures, and people. My life experience is varied: I've worked in Cambodian refugee camps with the United Nations, been employed with John Hopkins on the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation, been an NICU and OB nurse, practiced dance therapy at a state hospital, and taught many things: piano, ballet, public health, English and more. I believe that we are gifted in many areas....and that many disciplines "cross over". Although I now teach many mediums, I most enjoy working with water based media and pencil and more recently photography.