I am a contemporary realist painter living in Augusta, Maine. With an abundance of inspiration right in my own backyard, my subject matter reflects my familiar surroundings as well as my love for New England charm. I mostly paint plein air where all my senses are fully engaged, and I am challenged to view my subject matter in changing light and moving sky formations. I attempt to capture scenes that reveal a lot about a location and show the viewer what captured my heart in that moment.

Although my growth in art has not been linear, finding my voice as a full time artist has been a life-long dream. From the time I first held a crayon, I felt a connection to art that was so powerful it was as if my creative spirit had a life of its own. I studied graphic design at Salem State University, learned cartography in the military, and later received a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at Boston College, but ultimately took a career as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service. I carried mail and carried my dream for nearly three decades. On vacations I took watercolor workshops with Marjorie Glick, and drawing and painting classes with Lisa Sawlit who taught me the techniques of the old masters.

For a few years I was pulled in the direction of pottery, starting first with The Clay School in Lynn, Massachusetts, and later on classes with Malley Weber at Hallowell Clay Works. Top of the Hill Pottery became my own business in my home studio. At the time I was trying to grow as a painter, a potter, a writer, and an illustrator. It became overwhelming to do it all, so I made the decision to set aside pottery and focus on painting. I began taking painting classes with Carol L. Douglas who lit a fire beneath me to keep going in that direction, and I continue to learn from Carol’s wealth of knowledge in art.

I have taught watercolor painting classes to beginners— first with military veterans, then through Zoom classes with the public, with seniors at Granite Hill Estates, with Maine Audubon, and currently with Viles Arboretum. I write and illustrate picture story books through Maine Authors Publishing and regularly participate in author events throughout Maine. I am the organizer of the Kennebec Valley Plein Air Painters, a member of the Kennebec Valley Art Association, the River Arts Association, the Maine Art Gallery, and the Red Barn Gallery in Port Clyde.