I continually surprise myself that I have it in me to paint. After many years of teaching English, writing, and editing, to find that I can put a brush to paper and create visually totally amazes me.

When choosing a subject, I gravitate toward the ordinary and the man-made--a storefront, a Vermont barn, a local street--and hope to explore it in some depth. Often I will include steps, or windows, or a door--portals inviting the viewer to enter into the story behind the façade.

I work exclusively in watercolor. While the medium naturally lends itself to flowing and blending colors, after I put down the background washes, I delight in the hard edges and textures I can create with a dry brush. My favorite moments are when I trace a rigger across a shape to bring detail sharply into focus or drag the belly of a size 6 round across the roughness of 300 lb paper to bring a piece of wood to life. Heavily influenced by the study of botanical art, I find life "is in the details."