When I was a little girl, my grandfather taught me how to identify the plants on our walks in the woods. My mother’s childlike joy in even the simplest things taught me to be visually aware. From my dad I received my love for birds.
My childhood delight for appreciating the little things turned into a degree in art. From there it was off to work as a graphic artist, and then years of designing dolls and painting hundreds of murals in New York as my husband and I raised a family. Most of the murals I painted featured birds, insects, animals, grasses, and wildflowers. Painting murals gave me an opportunity to display the images I loved as a child.
Shortly after moving to Tennessee, I went for a walk and thought, “If birds could build nests, then they could make hats.” This whimsical notion has been the inspiration for many bird and animal portraits.
