The person under
all the paint.

The Why 
Painting is my happy place. When I'm creating, it's because I've connected personally with a subject matter– whether it's my beloved Jayhawks or a portrait of Anthony Bourdain. I lean in to things that make me happy and people who inspire me.

The magic happens when I get to share that work with other people who share my love of that subject. When this happens, I become connected to entire groups of people who love something I love too. That is why I paint.  

Accolades
My work has been featured by HerLife Magazine (KC), The Kansas City Star, ESPN Kansas City, Startland News, KC Spaces, KSHB41, KMBC9 and more. I am best known in the Midwest for a collection of officially licensed Jayhawk paintings and a body of work largely inspired by the this region. Check out my press page for links to everything. 

About my work
I have an insatiable curiosity and a love of storytelling. The artwork I make is a lot like me – equal parts careful planning and spontaneous exploration and messiness. The style can be described as expressionist-meets-realism. It is riotously colorful and textured, often including drips and raw edges paradoxically layered with carefully rendered subjects. A spirit of experimentation defines my use of materials/medium, sometimes resulting in the alchemy of meaningful substances into parts of my artwork. My best known example of this is physically incorporating limestone “Rock Chalk” into my paint on the Original Six Jayhawks. I have also worked with real diamonds, stone remands from meaningful buildings, ash, and a number of collectors’ personal artifacts. 

Incorporating unconventional materials into my work, most often in my commission work, is all about making art with a layered story. Sometimes a physical incorporation adds something really unique to the piece. I love that process of discovery.  

My history  
I grew up in St Louis and went to KU where I received a degree in visual communications. I moved to Chicago after college to pursue that career in graphic design. In 2010 I began working for myself, taking on freelance design clients and growing my branding business over the years into one that focused exclusively on clients in the food industry, specifically fast casual restaurants. I honed a skill for writing brand books and helping clients to establish a consistent visual “voice.”  

In 2016 I injured my back and took a sabbatical from work to recover. It was during that time that I began painting again, something I had always done on the side but without much regularity. For one, I lived in Chicago for about 10 years and never had the space to keep a room of supplies out. I am also extremely messy in my practice – not great for a renter. I was also feeling burnt out from my design career, and missing the analog aspect of making art with my hands. I asked myself, “is it possible to make a living as an artist?” All evidence pointed to the contrary, but I had to try. So I closed my design business and leapt. My life has changed in strange and wonderful ways since making that decision and I haven’t looked back.  

Me today  
My studio in the West Bottoms neighborhood of Kansas CIty, one of my favorite places, and I live with my husband and our two small kids in Overland Park. I have a deep and abiding love of documentaries about nature and treasure hunts. I love reading and podcasts. I also enjoy cycling, walking in the woods and traveling. I am a Taurus, an empath and a classic introvert.