Growing up I read every horse book I could put my hands on - particularly anything illustrated by Paul Brown. Viewing Rosa Bonheur’s “The Horse Fair” at the Metropolitan on an eighth grade class trip left me speachless.  My dedicated New Jersey art teacher changed my life with her instruction as well as her encouragement. College, however, was very different. Realism was out - abstraction was in.  Being forbidden to paint animals of any kind was probably the best thing that could have happenend to me. My determination grew to continue depicting animals. In November of 2004 I quit my job as a graphic designer to paint.  After putting my husband through law school and raising three children I was thrilled with the opportunity to give it everything I had.  It has, as expected, been quite a ride. Up and down sales, frustration, elation, success and failure. Such is the life of an artist. But the main lesson to be learned is the absolute joy of the process. I just simply love to paint. Communicating  the elegance of an animal form is a tough task master and transporting the viewer into my world is a constant challenge. Recently I have returned to working with graphite and pen and ink and exploring a new found enjoyment of colored pencil. Living on a farm in Kentucky with 10 horses provides constant inspiration.  I’ll never run out of subject matter.