Mom always said the first moment she gave me a brush to paint with I was a born artist. She said even as a little tot, I painted with authority as if it was something I knew what I was doing.

I wish I had that kind of confidence today.

For as long as I can remember, she encouraged me by keeping a lot of supplies in the house, but even if we were short, I could make due sketching on a napkin or anything else that was close by.

Growing up, teachers would praise my artwork. Often it was displayed predominately in the classroom somewhere or even in a gallery area in the school. I do believe there were some works of art I never got returned to me.

Of all the mediums, I was most fascinated with watercolors but found it the hardest. My art teacher my junior and senior year, Mrs. Scott, drilled some hard rules about watercolor in me. She was a purist. These days I see artists applying white to their work, and I know Mrs. Scott wouldn’t approve. In spite of this, I don’t mind mixing my mediums. Some of my work will use pen and ink as well as white gauche to the painting. I’ve also used a little colored pencil from time to time.

Years passed, I didn’t touch a brush. Then one day I got some paints and started again. I would paint them, then hide them under my bed until one day a few friends looked at them and said why are you hiding them? I guess they were better than I thought.

I had a few more years of dry spells where I didn’t paint at all, and now I’ve started again.

I do hope you enjoy.