Mission Statement
I carry my philosophy of life into my work. I believe in a positive attitude and the power of love.

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My goal with children's art is to touch lives with the wonderful luxury of innocence by creating positive images for the young. Children need a positive and empowering environment in which to grow and flourish. Children need freedom to dream. Every day should be a celebration of joy and wonder. Developing a sense of self through play fosters creativity, imagination, and problem solving. We can all benefit by returning to a simpler time, if only for a moment.

The characters I create are inspired by people who have touched my life with love. Often, but not always, the character carries the name of the person. This is one way I can honor and thank these people for being part of my life.

Success has many definitions. If my work makes you smile, and brightens your day, I've been successful.

Thank you for taking the time to drop in at my website.
Enjoy your visit.

Parents you can email your feedback, questions, & concerns here.

Tips For Parents, Grandparents, and Teachers of young Artists
I believe in the inherent creativity in all children. The following ideas can help each child find their unique artist voice.

Encourage creativity. Fostering creativity promotes problem solving, self-reliance, stress reduction, risk taking, and quiet time.

Acknowledge while accepting that every child can't excel at everything. Don't discourage children because their efforts don't meet your expectations. Some of us don't discover and explore hidden talents until we are older (think Grandma Moses.)

Let children enjoy their creativity. Provide positive reinforcement for their efforts. Encourage imagination.

Supply opportunity. Give children a place where they can draw or paint. Let them make a mess. Realize that the expressiveness of the mess is part of the process, the spontaneity, the fun.

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Have art supplies on hand. School or student grade (what you can buy at the grocery store) are fine to begin with especially for younger artists, and for expression for expression's sake. For older children who may be more serious about artistic exploration, buy the best art supplies you can afford. Quality artist materials perform better, giving better results. Better results encourage pride, self-confidence, greater effort, and risk taking.

Practice! Practice! Practice! Help children understand that it takes work to develop drawing skills. Frustration will occur. It's okay to make mistakes and mess up. I do to this day. Remember, it's only a piece of paper.

Support the idea that all art in all the different media is based on good drawing. Without good drawing skills, young artists won't develop their talent to the highest potential. I know some art teachers will disagree with me on this, but I really believe that basic skills are vital. I base this on 10+ years of teaching art to students of all ages.

The best advice I ever got I still use today. My seventh grade art teacher (thank you, Mrs. Serverson!) said, "Keep a sketchbook. Draw everyday." I have and I do.