I was born on an Air Force base and grew up in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. In middle school, my family moved to a rural community northeast of Dallas and started a small farm where my father still lives.

I earned a B.S., an M.A., and post-graduate hours from Texas universities, influenced by the varied histories and images of our complicated, at times contradictory, state. 

My great great grandmother was Cherokee. That genetic influence may have inspired my love for the stories of and lands inhabited by indigenous people. My aunt, her great granddaughter, is a gifted artist and mentor (https://www.marydovefineart.com). My maternal grandmother also painted, and my sons are both artists - one a dancer, choreographer, designer, and visual artist, the other a classically trained tenor.

Travel and a lifelong interest in and study of art led me to painting the haunting landscapes of the American Southwest. Though I do paint other subjects, I'm continually drawn to the unusual geology of the region and to the traces left by early inhabitants. There's much we have to relearn from them about how to live alongside the natural world, in a harmony spoken of by many throughout history. We in the West are now realizing the necessity of this way of life. Hopefully we understand and cooperate in time.