Me: I grew up in a small town in western Wisconsin where the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers meet. I had the urge to draw and paint when I was in grade school and high school. Then life got in the way and painting got pushed to the side in pursuit of other things. I continued to love art and sometimes the desire to paint would bubble up but I didn’t have the space (or time, I thought) to begin painting again. Around 2008 I began creating a space for arts and crafts in the basement of our home in Severna Park, MD. Over the next couple of years I experimented with the space, accumulated materials and the knowledge of how to use them properly. I talked with artist friends who helped me find direction when I got stuck and opened doors that I didn’t know existed. I currently work full-time as a Quality Inspector at a factory in Beltsville, MD while I continue learning and making art in my free time.

My Art: My favorite art is abstract and while I have been a bit shy about showing my works in that genre, I find that continuing to work improves my skills and confidence. I have used some of my abstract watercolors as backgrounds for mixed-media works or as parts of my “woven” projects.

MFA & Me: I joined MFA in 2012 after hearing about it at the Annapolis Art Walk and have enjoyed meeting members and joining more and more shows. It was a real thrill for me to be part of the 2015 Artists Melange. I love the friends I have made through MFA and often attend receptions just to support the other artists.