About the Artist
I grew up in a large family, surrounded by books, music, and creativity, and I don’t recall a time when I wasn’t drawing or coloring on something. My father worked in advertising, and when he saw my interest in art, he began bringing home illustrator’s annuals and Communication Arts magazines. These inspired my love of line and a graphic style as well as a desire to communicate a message with my artwork.
As a child, I was fascinated with the illustrations by Beatrix Potter, Norman Rockwell, and NC Wyeth. My influencers range from Maxfield Parrish and Ralph Steadman to the pre-Raphaelites like Dante Rossetti and John Everett Millais. John Singer Sargent and Mary Whyte are some sources for watercolor inspiration. And I’m also a follower of sculptor Mya Lin and land artist Andy Goldsworthy.
At Missouri State, I was fortunate to train under Bill Armstrong, co-founder of Watercolor USA. It was also in the Ozarks that I developed a lifelong passion for environmental protection. Luckily, these two obsessions work together--when I see something beautiful in nature, I am inspired to paint it and share its story with the world.
An insatiable curiosity and a keen sense of irony provide me with unlimited subject matter. Interesting juxtapositions like modern & ancient, wild & constrained, dogs & cats, always catch my attention. And how the impact of a scene can be changed just by a shadow, a reflection, or a shaft of light. I am also intrigued by how nature reveals itself—how flowers unfold from buds, how a butterfly emerges from a chrysalis. I’m particularly amazed by the promise of seeds and the first sprouts pushing up in Spring. The constant rebirth of the planet inspires me. As Frank Lloyd Wright said, “I believe in God, only I spell it nature”.
My art is part of my advocacy for protecting our environment and inspiring respect for nature. If I can motivate one person to appreciate the earth’s beauty, I’ll consider it a successful piece.
Memberships
Allied Artists of America, juried 2026
Southern Watercolor Society, juried, 2025
Transparent Watercolor Society, juried, 2025
International Society of Experimental Artists, juried 2025
Florida Artists Group, juried, October 2022
Florida Watercolor Society, juried 2021
Art League of Daytona Beach
Jacksonville Watercolor Society
Sampling of Exhibitions
2026
o Allied Artists of America 113th Annual Exhibition, Online September 1, 2026 - September 1, 2027
o Merit Award, Florida Artists Group 76th Annual Exhibit, Stuart, FL, March - April
o Honorable Mention, "Jacksonville Watercolor Society Spring Exposition", St. Augustine Art Assn, St. Augustine, FL, Feb - March
o "Southern Watercolor Society 49th Exposition" juried member exhibit, Gadsden Museum, Quincy, FL, Feb - April
2025
o “Flight of Bugs” solo exhibit, Happy Medium Books, Jacksonville, FL, September - December
o Honorable Mention, “ISEA Innovations 2025” group exhibit, Ormond Art Museum, Ormond Beach, FL, September - November
o Transparent Watercolor Society Biennial juried online exhibit, Online, September - October
o "Art Beat St. Pete" Florida Artists Group member exhibit, Neilson Center for Visual Arts, St. Petersburg, FL, June - August
o Merit Award, “Figuratively Speaking” member exhibit, Art League of Daytona Beach, FL, June - July
o “Fragile & Fierce” solo exhibit, Adele Grage Gallery, Atlantic Beach, FL, February
o “Fragile & Fierce” solo exhibit, Vandroff Gallery, Jacksonville, FL, January
2024
o 2nd Place Award, “Winter in the South” juried group exhibition, Jacksonville Public Library, November - January
o “33rd Annual All Florida Art" juried exhibit, Courthouse Cultural Center, Stuart, FL, January - February
o "Garden Party" exhibit, Bethel Gallery, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, March - May
o "Floribunda", Florida Native Plant Society Wild Florida exhibit, Cork Arts District, Jacksonville, FL, April
o "ART MAX JAX" Annual Florida Artists Group member exhibit, Florida State College Jacksonville, FL, May - July
2023
o JAA Arts & Culture 2023 juried 10-piece exhibit, Jacksonville International Airport, June – October
o “Written Word” member exhibit, Jacksonville Artist Guild, Jacksonville Public Library, Jacksonville, FL, June – July
o FLAG Area 6 member exhibit, Larimar Arts Center, Palatka, FL, May—July
o “Sensations” Florida Artists Group Members exhibit, Daytona Beach Museum, Daytona Beach, FL, January--April
2022
o National Federation of the Blind Tactile exhibit, Southbank Hotel, Jacksonville, FL, November
o Florida Artists Group Top 25 Award Winners exhibit, Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta, GA, Sept – November
o Florida Artists Group Area 6 members exhibit, Florida State College, Jacksonville, FL, June – July
o Luminaries 4th Place Award, Florida Artists Group 72nd Annual juried online exhibit, February – March
o Honorable Mention, “In Flight” juried exhibit, The Art Center Gallery, Jacksonville, FL, January – February
o “Coexist with Nature” member exhibit, Karpeles Manuscript Library & Museum, Jacksonville, FL, Nov-January
Previous
o Cheap Joe’s Award, Florida Watercolor Society Members juried exhibit, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, September – November, '21
o “Art-i-Facts” juried exhibit, JAX Intl Airport Sky Gallery, Jacksonville, FL, June – December, '21
o “Sunshine in the South” member exhibit, Jewish Community Center, Jacksonville, FL, June- July, '21
o “Rust” juried exhibit, 5th Avenue Gallery, Melbourne, FL, June '21
o Gallery Choice Award, “Sustainable Earth” juried exhibit, Word Revolt Gallery, Atlantic Beach, FL, April – June, 21
o “Imagination Squared” exhibit, MOCA Jacksonville, FL, April – August, '21
Residencies, Workshops, and Demonstrations
o Artist in Residence, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Alexandria, VA, June – August 2014
o “Making the Best of an Emergency”, demo for the Jacksonville Watercolor Society, Nov 25, 2025
