I’ve had a pencil in my hand as far back as I can remember, and a drawing of a horse was usually the outcome. Growing up, I read every horse book I could get my hands on and was inspired by the beautiful illustrations, especially ones like Walter Farley’s “Black Stallion” series.
I have dabbled in many mediums over the years–oil, acrylic, watercolor, airbrush, etc. However, after studying pastels with Lesley Harrison, an internationally-known pastelist whose work I have admired for years, pastel is my medium of choice. Lesley has my eternal gratitude for introducing me to this exciting medium that thrills me like no other. Pastel enables me to achieve all the subtleties needed for a portrait that comes alive!
Horses are still my favorite subject. I have a fondness for the feathered horse breeds (I get blissfully lost in all that hair!), but I welcome the opportunity to draw any breed. They’re all beautiful to me.
In pastel, I paint with Rembrandt soft pastels, NuPastel hard pastels and Conte pastel pencils. I paint on velour paper mounted on archival foam core board.
If you’ve ever known the love of an animal, you know how special they are and how much they enrich our lives. My artistic goal is to showcase the characteristics that make them special and preserve them in a portrait to be enjoyed for years. I also hope to help advance recognition of new breeds, like Gypsy Vanner horses, and to encourage people to bring these wonderful creatures into their lives.
I hope that owning a piece of my artwork gives you as much joy as it gives to me in bringing it to life!
Memberships / Associations:
Pastel Society of America, Associate Member
Society of Animal Artists, Associate Member
Southeastern Pastel Society – Member of Excellence
International Association of Pastel Societies – Member
Booth Museum of Western Art Artist Guild – Member
Booth Museum of Western Art Photography Guild – Member
Exhibitions/Awards:
2022 Southeastern Pastel Society “Make Your Mark” International Exhibition
2021 Southeastern Pastel Society National Juried Exhibition – Merit Award for “A Dream at Dusk”
2020 Booth Artists Guild Exhibition
2020 Southeastern Pastel Society National Juried Exhibition
2019 Southeastern Pastel Society Member Online Exhibition
2019 Southeastern Pastel Society National Juried Exhibition
2019 Pastel Journal’s Pastel 100 Competition – Honorable Mention
Richeson 2018 Animal and Wildlife Exhibition
Southeastern Pastel Society 2018 International Exhibition
Southeastern Pastel Society 2018 Online Exhibition
Booth Artists Guild 2017 Fall Exhibition
Southern Appalachian Artists Guild – 2017 National Exhibition
Booth Museum 2017 Artists Guild Exhibition
Southeastern Pastel Society 2017 Member Exhibition – Merit Award for “Embracing Liberty”
Cumming First United Method Church 2017 Festival of Art – Honorable Mention for “Caress from the Wind”
Booth Art Guild Winter 2017 Exhibition
Southern Appalachian Artists Guild – 2016 National Exhibition
Booth Art Guild 2016 Fall Exhibition – Third Place and People’s Choice Award for “My Heart Will Go On”
Southeastern Pastel Society 2016 Summer Exhibition
Southeastern Pastel Society 17th International Exhibition (2016)
Southeastern Pastel Society 2015 Spring Exhibition
Southeastern Pastel Society 16th International Exhibition (2014)