About the Artist

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

A number of years ago I started painting, but one day I decided that since every painting idea seemed to come to me with a story about it I decided to start writing down those stories.  That led me into a different career path, writing non-fiction romance/mystery novels.  I spent a good number of years doing that until, after having 30 of my novels published I decided to once again paint my characters and just add a card with a paragraph or two of their story attached to the back of the painting.  

I began my careers in California, where I was born and raised, and also worked in corporate America as Vice President for a funding company.  Upon retirement from my daily job my husband and I moved to Florence, Arizona.  There I participated in numerous art shows and galleries, such Sonora Artist League and Gallery, Sierra Vista Artist Gallery, El Pedregal Gallery, Huachucha Artists .  After five years of blistering heat we decided to move to the Reno/Sparks area of Nevada, where I belong to the Latimer Club.  I am also a member of Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society and Cowgirl Artists of the West. I have had paintings in The Ferley Art Gallery, and participated in the National Tahoe/Reno Arts Exhibition, the Reno Artists Co-op., and Mill Street Gallery, and the Nevada Artists Association in Carson City.

I am a mainly a self taught artist, my preference is oils on canvas, but lately I have also begun doing some pencil drawings and water color pencil drawings .   My main themes are western:  cowboys, cowgirls, horses, buffalos, indians, landscapes, flowers and cartoons. I also paint other scenes such as the swamps of Louisiana, the Gondolas of Venice or Pirate Ships in open seas.  I most always paint in realism, and occasionally abstract when my mood dictates brilliant colors and loose brush strokes.

On a more personal note, I am celebrating my 41st wedding anniversary this year, 2025,  and enjoying my newish life in the foothills of Nevada with my husband and four rescues (2 senior dogs and 2 toddler cats).  An added bonus living here is seeing all the wild horses grazing in the meadows and hills, and visiting Virginia City on occasional Sundays where I can get inspiration for my paintings by venturing into the old buildings, walking the side streets, cemeteries and saloons.  But best of all is sitting in the Bucket of Blood Saloon, sipping on a Kuala and Milk, listening to the live music of David John and the Comstock Cowboys, and watching all the locals come in dressed in their western finery.