About a year and a half ago I decided to start painting. I had been strictly a fiber artist for 10 years and really couldn't imagine doing anything else. But due to restrictions in my hands from arthritis it was no longer fun for me to work in fiber. It was to hard on my hands and I lost the desire to create that way. But eventually I knew I needed to get back to working on something to fill my spare time. At that time I really thought of art as therapy. I didn't really think I would ever sell my paintings nor paint as much as I have. I really thought of it as a way to help me deal with depression and the pain from my illness.

Some where along the line I fell in love with painting. It opened up a whole new creative life for me and I found myself really enjoying creating these imaginary worlds with paint. I started taking some online classes to help inspire me and to learn from others who had knowledge and an understanding of painting that I did not. In some ways I'm thankful I didn't get a traditional education on art, because it has allowed my own personal style to really show through. For me painting is not only about what you paint, but the marks you make, and the texture of the paintings. I'm sure this comes from my background in fiber where I really loved the texture and feel of manipulated fabric. I love to run my fingers over the paintings when they are dry and feel the bumps and ridges. I often put ripped up paper down first on my canvases simply because it adds more texture. And just recently I've started scratching layers off or ripping bits of paper off. For me there is something enjoyable in the imperfections. It's much like life and people, we all have our unique imperfections that make us beautiful.

I have begun to think about where my art is going and what it means for me personally. As I've begun to sell the paintings and had people tell me how wonderful they make them feel it made me realize that the art isn't only therapy for me anymore. It is a way to show others that there is beauty still in the world and that even during hard times we can stick together and support one another. I now often paint thinking about people out in the world and try to put a bit of love and hope in all of my work. Sometimes I paint silly things, like characters with no teeth or people with green hair, but even with the silly comes a message that underneath our skin and bones we're all just human beings trying to get through life with dignity intact. It's not always easy to do, but if I can give a bit of hope and support then I feel like my art has served it's purpose.