meet my muse

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the art is a revelation to me...each and every time. it's just luck that it happens so live and in color, that is how it finds me. they are my gifts, the moments i wait for...to share myself and my experience or at least my version of experience. 

they are my love songs and poems, my voice. each one an affectionate, even if bitter sweet tribute to the lesson, the laughter, the lovin' and everything in between.

they are hilarious and sad, polite and sometimes sassy. they are madly in love, enormously excited, always kind, and eternally faithful. they hope, they dream but above all...they believe.

they are the best i can do in gratitude, in celebration of all that i love and treasure.

always an artist and graciously supported though every-sideways-step, is how it comes and goes. born and raised on the stunning lake shore of " stop 31" in michigan city, indiana there wasn't a time that i wasn't creating something or that my family wasn't cheering me on, helping me to believe in myself and every next idea. 

art school was a natural step for me but narrowing down the focus was never easy. i earned a bachelor of arts degree from purdue university in west lafayette, indiana in the summer of 2000. i was a dual major, art education/graphic design, with a minor in fine arts and an emphasis on painting. lucky to have a rock solid foundation, the strength of strong family unit, i was never without the safety of my love net...that, is always the beginning of the beautiful, kind,  get back up and dust yourself off ready for the next try...life story.

after university, i did a lot of sifting and growing in the sticks of west michigan, before i finally found myself back home in indiana.

always and forever pushin' paint, illustration projects, occasional shows, shops, fairs, and many charitable projects later...these days find me creating on my terms. where and when it fits best right now is just right for this happily ever after, stay at home-wife, boy mom, and artist. living the good, family fun filled life in south bend, has found me still, gratefully, surrounded by supportive and loving family and friends, my muse strong as ever, still helping me pay tribute and celebrate evey.single.thing that beats (or breaks) my love heart. 

it's all about the love connection for me. throughout this life, the one beautiful consistency i have had the luxury of counting on, has been my great fortune in supportive love. even during the very hardest of times there has always been beautiful grace, through connection, to remind me there is always something to celebrate. 

my strength comes, always, from a heart place. i am at my very best when service towards others is in my focus. all my favorite efforts are a tribute to, advocacy for or a celebration of something that has touched or formed me. 

my passion for our planet and it's natural life and animals, in welfare and conservation, is life long and enormous. with it comes great joy and sadness. "pearl" was one of my beloved kitties, who lived and loved me through some of my hardest days. she was a gem, in every way. the years we spent in my different studios together were generous in color, creation, comfort and affection. to pay tribute to her under the umbrella of all the art was the only way to speak to her generous impact on my heart. pearl died many years ago but her legacy lives on both in color and support. in her honor, I always, and now we as a family, have continued our active role in caring for the natural world through strong support and dedicated participation in advocacy, rescue and conservation. 

my artwork is my faith, my prayer at work. it graciously takes me where i need and want to be. it gifts me comfort, wisdom, and release. when i push paint or cut paper, when i'm in my process, i'm overflowing with gratitude and love. when i am focused on all that is happening within, and giving to the world outside, i am at my best, the peak of my strength, understanding and filled with grace. it is just then, in that gift of a moment, i find myself "closer to pearl".