About the Artist: 

My art is about finding the courage to live fully. My own experiences provide me with the creative force that breathes life into my paintings and creates an emotional experience that resonates with people. I love knowing that I can communicate with total strangers around the world and - through my art - we can share joy, sorrow, courage, hope .... that we can become friends and companions on our journey through life.

As for my designs, my inspiration comes primarily from the tribal cultures around the world - in their brilliant colors and iconic imagery, and in the vibrant life that emanates from those cultures, often in spite of very challenging living conditions. There are many messages in my art - primarily from the Source. Take from them what you are meant to receive. Beyond that, my intentions are formed from the following two concepts that guide my own journey through life:

There is beauty in who you are, in what you feel and dream and love. Do not be afraid to embrace what you cherish. Life is too short to live small!

"What I am trying to say is hard to tell and hard to understand ... unless, unless ... you have been yourself at the edge of the Deep Canyon and have come back unharmed. Maybe it all depends on something within yourself - whether you are trying to see the Watersnake or the sacred Cornflower, whether you go out to meet death or to Seek Life."
         Elder of the San Juan Pueblo people

EVENTS:	August, 2010 ~ 4-woman show, Salon de Fleur Gallery, Tokyo ARTapalooza Art Festival - Sept 2009 ~ Cedar Falls, IA 4-woman show - August 2009, Salon de Fleur Gallery, Tokyo ARTapalooza Art Festival - Sept 2008 ~ Cedar Falls, IA Arts of the Heartland Fine Arts Show - Oct 2008, Independence, IA Chix for Change Art Benefit - July 2007, Cedar Falls, IA E.H. Stumme Art Show - Nov 2006, Denver, IA 1-woman show , Cup of Joe Coffee House & Gallery - July 2006, Cedar Falls, IA Univ of Northern Iowa School of Music Benefit Auction - Sep 2005, Cedar Falls, IA
GALLERY REPRESENTATION:	Sunlight, Inc. (Chiharu Ogino) - Tokyo, Japan
EDUCATION:	Bachelor of Arts, Univ of Northern Iowa - Cedar Falls, IA Self-taught artist raised in a family of artists
INSPIRATION:	All of life is my inspiration. Watching the determination and courage of my fellow travelers as they face loss, illness, and fear has led me to believe that there is so much good within all of us - good that we sometimes keep hidden for fear of our own brilliance. When I paint, I imagine that I am creating portraits of those people .... holding up their dignity, their courage, and their inner beauty as a beacon for us all - a message of hope and inspiration lighting the way. I hope that you see yourselves somewhere within my art - and that you realize that the journey HOME is as simple as Be Still, Listen, Breathe ...