Behind the Pencils

Welcome! Thanks for stopping by. I am a Western North Carolina native, living in the southeastern woods of Oklahoma.

My journey with art started early. My first distinct memory of drawing is from when I was eight years old. I had drawn the Garfield comic strip from the newspaper, and my grandmother actually made me draw it again in front of her because she was convinced I had traced it. (I hadn't!) Once I finished the second one, she never questioned my "free-hand" skills again.

Having grown up in the beautiful mountains of deep rural Appalachia, I have a profound love of nature and wildlife. I prefer drawing animals because I believe there is a unique beauty in their wildness. They possess an inherent honesty that is beautiful and harsh at the same time. What’s the old saying? “If a dog doesn’t like you….” There is truth to that.

My love for animals also drives my pet portrait work. I know firsthand the heartbreak of losing one of the "bestest good boys," and how much that piece of art becomes a treasured keepsake for the family. When I create a portrait, I'm not just capturing a likeness; I’m creating a reminder of that deep, unconditional love.

My work is realistic in nature and primarily rendered in graphite, charcoal, and ink. I prefer the clean aesthetic of black and white art—it strips away the noise and allows the subject to breathe. There is a timeless, classic quality to black and white drawings; they evoke the feeling of a bygone era. Remembrance. That's a great word.

I'm also drawn to (ha! - pun not intended) what can be an unforgiving medium. Unlike painting, you can't always "undo" a goof when drawing. Depending on how bad that goof is, you may need to start all over. Which I have. I find doing realistic work makes me pause and slow down and really think about what I am doing and where I'm making those marks and be very IN the zone. I also love the tactile nature of good ole' pencil and paper. The mastery of graphite has been a lifelong pursuit for me. I'm still working on it. I learn something new with each piece I create.

When I’m not at the drawing board, you can usually find me reading or baking (I have a particular weakness for bread). Otherwise, I’m likely rambling around our thickly wooded property with my husband and our dog, Lola, with Kevin the cat never far behind.