I first began to paint when I was in college studying to become an art educator. At the same time, I also had just started dating my husband. We spent a lot of our dates on tractors in spinach or hay fields and on his four wheeler exploring his family's farm. I would take my camera along to capture the sights of our adventures.
The photographs from our time together served as subject matter for my college assignments. Learning how to paint using the landscapes from special places and moments that I had experienced really helped me connect to the painting process. I had a better understanding of the structures and lighting I was trying to render rather than if I had found a picture on the internet. I created the image while I was in landscape which greatly helped me recall the conditions of my surroundings (i.e., the dry texture of the ground)
Now, 9 years later, most of the pictures that I take are either in our yard or the fields surrounding our home. Where I live provides endless inspiration! I am so lucky to have so many beautiful scenes right outside of my door. Since I am a stay at home mom it is very convenient to walk out the back door and find a landscape that can become a painting while my children are taking their naps or tucked in to bed at night.
My paintings all have special significants and stories about that particular point in my life. They serve as an autobiography and illustrate the landscapes that have shaped who I am. Having the opportunity to paint my surroundings and have people not only recognize the location but also connect with it provides me with so much fulfillment.
Below are some of my first paintings that I completed in college as well as pictures take from around our home.
"Watson's Mill Road" - Acrylics on Canvas - 9" x 17"
Completed for a college assignment
"Wilson's #601" - Acrylics on Canvas - 22" x 28"
Completed for a college assignment
"Any Given Sunday" - Acrylics on Masonite - 15" x 21.75"
Completed for a college assignment
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