Lists, coffee and toast with butter and Icelandic birch salt, and of course, art — which has been at the top of many lists through the years. 

The joy I find with animals and art started before I could even hold a paintbrush steady. Memories of legos, crayons in a bucket, and my three cats — Ansel, Houdini, and Sherlock are rooted down deep.  And for many years as a kid, I was certain I would become an architect.

At fifteen, I drew a portrait of my grandma's cat, Ming Tu, as a gift for her sixty-fifth birthday. Then, in the fall of 1998, I took my first painting class at Mount Holyoke College – It's been my jam ever since. That winter, while home for break, I painted two of our family dogs — Player and Chase — as a Christmas surprise. Something clicked and I declared my Studio Art major the first day back from break. I graduated in 2001. I will never forget my painting professor, Marion Miller, and what she said about observing a person's face while painting their portrait. Pay attention to the lines –– The curves of their eyes, lips, and nostrils. You will see a similarity reflected in those lines, and as you render and observe light, form, and color –– You will find them. 

Pet PawTraits came to life in 2003, when I was painting in the entryway nook of my studio apartment in Portland, Oregon. I had painted another family dog — Garbo – Who wasn't just any ordinary dog. She really was the best. When she passed, her portrait became something sacred — a daily greeting and a reminder of her sweet and soulful spirit. It was then I knew exactly what I must do. I quit my day job, launched Pet PawTraits in 2004 and have been capturing the hearts, expressions, and souls of animals ever since. I've had the honor of completing more than 250 commissioned portraits for collectors and devoted pet lovers alike — each one painted in oils on canvas, each one beginning with a photograph you love of an animal you love even more. 

And now, like life itself, my painting and studio space continue to evolve and grow. I am no longer painting in a closet sized space but a lovely backyard studio, that is sometimes occupied by the small hands of my greatest creation ever, my daughter. Becoming a mother later in life has shifted my energy and creative practice in more ways than I ever could have imagined. And now, as I navigate through matrescence, I am finding myself called to create a new body of work, with a new set of eyes, and a new source of inspiration. As a result, commissioned work, including my pawtraits, are on paws until further notice.

I live in Northern California with the love of my life, our daughter, and three frisky kitties.

Thank you for visiting. I wouldn't be here without you.