Like many, if not most young children, I took great joy in creating art. Because I came from a family that supported the arts, my passion was encouraged and I was provided with art supplies that were within the family budget. Predictably I studied art at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, where I grew up. The art department was strong, and I value the traditional skills that I learned there. Much of my work as an adult reflected my art background. I was a sign-painter, an illustrator, and eventually, starting in 2016, a full time painter.

Through my various life stages creating art, I described the kind of artist I was differently. At times I focused on drawing skills and called myself an illustrator. As a sign-painter I described myself as a designer. Later I explored oil paint. Then I fell for acrylic paint, pastels, inks and more. In the hands of a skilled artist, or at least an enthusiastic one, the medium doesn’t dictate whether work will be strong. It’s clear that today, and likely going forward, that I am an experimental mixed-media artist. Every canvas is a new beginning, and I connect most with my childhood joy of creating art when I’m not bound by a specific style, theme or medium. This can result in breakthrough moments, and sometimes bad art. However a painting comes out, good or bad, it’s part of the process. It’s never dull, and It’s all part of the journey that I whole heartedly embrace.