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Within the space of the frame, my desire is to bring the casual observer to a point of personal focus with the subject, whether it be a wild animal, a beautiful bird, a loved pet, a serene scene, a fresh flower, or a special object. It is my goal with my art to make important what the normal eye may overlook, and to help the viewer establish a more personal relationship with the subject, while at the same time, loosen up and enjoy the freedom, the whimsy, the moods, and the energy my subjects offer.
My art is a world away from my original reference images which emerge from my camera. I add luminous and rich painted backgrounds to bring the focus to them and to playfully expand on their best features, personality and mood. I play with color, light and tones so the most important features of my subject are illuminated. I paint on many layers to give my subjects amazing depth and interest. It is my desire that my images move beyond the realm of any specific medium, and instead become a unique style of art, with a focus on the most special qualities, personality, and feeling the subject portrays from within. |
A Peek Inside My Studio...
I have several work areas, and I created a nice sitting area where I create some of my works of art on the iPad. You can see examples of some of my 12" x 12" canvas prints on the walls. This was right after adding the shelving units {which I also painted} to display my "bird props", and it was before I got everything all messy again. :)
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A Little Of My Business History...
• I've been selling my art online since 2009.
• Since 2014, I've also operated another art business - The Daily Texture - where I offer hand-painted digital backgrounds and textures for photographers to use when creating art from their photos.
• In 2015, I left the two part-time jobs I'd had for several years to devote 100% of my time to my own business. Best decision I ever made!
• Before I started selling my art, I sold and designed my own custom-made jewelry online. I had to get out of that business when I became sick from exposure to the jewelry chemicals. {I have since resumed making some of my art jewelry using non-toxic methods}
• Before I began creating my own jewelry, I sold vintage costume jewelry on Ebay for five years, and became one of the top three sellers of vintage jewelry on Ebay {with a 100% positive feedback rating in over 10,000 transactions!}.
• Before my time on Ebay, I owned my own small book publishing company.
• After graduating from college, I went into a career in accounting. That career choice didn't really mesh with my personality, dreams and goals, but it taught me valuable business skills which I use today in operating my own businesses.
• My first published art came about when I was five years old. A pumpkin painting I had made was featured on the TV show "Romper Room", and the hostess said my name on television. That's when my passion for creative things truly began. :)
• Since 2014, I've also operated another art business - The Daily Texture - where I offer hand-painted digital backgrounds and textures for photographers to use when creating art from their photos.
• In 2015, I left the two part-time jobs I'd had for several years to devote 100% of my time to my own business. Best decision I ever made!
• Before I started selling my art, I sold and designed my own custom-made jewelry online. I had to get out of that business when I became sick from exposure to the jewelry chemicals. {I have since resumed making some of my art jewelry using non-toxic methods}
• Before I began creating my own jewelry, I sold vintage costume jewelry on Ebay for five years, and became one of the top three sellers of vintage jewelry on Ebay {with a 100% positive feedback rating in over 10,000 transactions!}.
• Before my time on Ebay, I owned my own small book publishing company.
• After graduating from college, I went into a career in accounting. That career choice didn't really mesh with my personality, dreams and goals, but it taught me valuable business skills which I use today in operating my own businesses.
• My first published art came about when I was five years old. A pumpkin painting I had made was featured on the TV show "Romper Room", and the hostess said my name on television. That's when my passion for creative things truly began. :)
The Nitty Gritty...
What I love, what I don't, what makes me happy, what drives me crazy. :)
• My grandfather was my biggest inspiration in my life. He was an entrepreneur himself, and I wanted to be just like him.
• I love anything with fur or feathers...animals and birds are my passion!
• I'd rather be in nature alone than around people. When I was younger, I'd chose to ride my bike down to the lake with my notebook and I would sit there for hours writing and drawing. I preferred that to hanging out with other kids.
• I've never been into sports, but for a period in my life I played some mean tennis...I say "mean" because I'd get really, really angry when I lost. :)
• I'm very sensitive to most noise. Even little noises will drive me crazy sometimes.
• I do love to listen to music, however. In fact, I often listen to inspirational music when I'm painting.
• Most days, I'm up working while the rest of the world is still asleep. I do this so I can work in peace and quiet without distractions.
• My favorite outfits are sweats in the winter and shorts and t-shirts in the summer. I'm not a fashionista, by any means. :)
• I hate bugs. They love me, unfortunately, but I'm very sensitive to their bites. This makes being in the field photographing wildlife a big challenge for me, because there's bugs all the time.
• I can't eat beef anymore, or have dairy {except I can have cheese, thank goodness!}, due to tick bites from the Lone Star tick and an "allergy" I've acquired as a result, called Alpha Gal Syndrome. **In October of 2019, I had a very specific acupuncture treatment done to stop my reactions from AG, as well as various other allergens. I thank God for that treatment, as it gave me my life back after a very rough year in 2019 due to the Alpha Gal. The treatment is called the SAAT Treatment, and is an ear acupuncture technique only done by acupuncturists specifically trained in that technique. It works for ALL allergies, not just AG and is the only thing that helped when traditional medicine failed!
• As I've grown older, I've gotten really sensitive to strong smells. Someones perfume or cologne, for example, will give me a day-long headache even if I'm only around it for a few minutes. I have since learned, those substances contain animal ingredients, which is probably why I became sensitive - thanks to the Alpha Gal.
• I love coffee, chocolate, peanut butter, and pizza. Oh, and I love shrimp, too. :) Unfortunately, due to the Alpha Gal, I also became intolerant of some of these favorite foods, so I rarely have them anymore. That tick bite did a number on my system, and I am now a strong advocate of using INSECT PROTECTION when out in nature. I haven't had a new tick bite since I've been wearing clothing from InsectShield.Com.
• I hate exercising to be "exercising"...but give me a bird to follow around with my camera, and I can get tons of exercise without even realizing it.
• I love people who support my life choices, and I can't stand people who try to tell me how to run my life.
• I choose to have one really, really good friend to talk to about the real personal stuff in life, rather than a bunch of people.
• I give generously to my customers - I love them and am so grateful they love and appreciate my hard work!
• I hate those who copy from me and steal my work. I have no patience for that.
• I often respond to people the same way they approach me. For example, a nice approach will get a nice response - a snarky one will not.
• There is no room in my life for negativity, and I will push it out the door as fast as it tries to come in. I don't watch or read the news, and I choose to step away from negative people and situations.
• I love crime shows. All the Law and Order shows, NCIS, and Forensic Files are just a few of my favorites. That being said, I don't watch much TV.
• I do love HGTV, though! When I'm feeling down or uninspired, I'll watch HGTV for a while to get re-inspired. :)
• I love using bold color in my art. Even when the market calls for bland, clean and simple colors, I'll still use bolder, richer colors.
• I don't do custom work. My last custom order was back in 2010 and while the dog was great, the human was not. NEVER. AGAIN.
• I don't have a team of people working with me - my business team consists of me, myself, and I.
• I am a cat magnet - any stray cat in my area seems to end up at my place.
• I also have a wide range of wildlife who visit my place...in addition to the songbirds I feed, I have raccoons, possum, three different species of hawks, and one owl. Occasionally there will be a deer or a fox. And no, I don't live in the country {though I wish I did!}
• I am claustrophobic - I can't stand to be penned up in closed in spaces!
• I rarely go shopping in stores - I prefer online shopping to avoid being in noisy places with lots of people.
• When I do go out shopping, it's most likely at Hobby Lobby or Lowes. :)
• I have a daughter who has followed in my creative footsteps. She has her own business here.
• My son is a computer geek -- thank goodness, because I get all of my computer work done "on the house". :)
• My daughter in law is a people photographer - thank goodness, because when people ask me to do family photos, I can now send them to her. I. DON'T. DO. PEOPLE. LOL!
• My husband puts up with me and does whatever I ask. I've trained him well. :)
• A German Shepherd of almost 13 years ruled my life until he passed away in June of 2019.
• After I had my son, my straight hair turned curly. To be honest, it drives me crazy and most of the time, I have it in a ponytail to keep it away from my face. Because it's a frizzy kind of curl...especially in our humid Tennessee weather!
• I've been gray since I was in my late 20's. Thanks Dad. :)
• My mom is crazy and my dad is nuts. So if I come across that way sometimes, I blame them. :)
• If I had all the money in the world and didn't have to pay bills, I'd still do the things I do, because ...
• I love anything with fur or feathers...animals and birds are my passion!
• I'd rather be in nature alone than around people. When I was younger, I'd chose to ride my bike down to the lake with my notebook and I would sit there for hours writing and drawing. I preferred that to hanging out with other kids.
• I've never been into sports, but for a period in my life I played some mean tennis...I say "mean" because I'd get really, really angry when I lost. :)
• I'm very sensitive to most noise. Even little noises will drive me crazy sometimes.
• I do love to listen to music, however. In fact, I often listen to inspirational music when I'm painting.
• Most days, I'm up working while the rest of the world is still asleep. I do this so I can work in peace and quiet without distractions.
• My favorite outfits are sweats in the winter and shorts and t-shirts in the summer. I'm not a fashionista, by any means. :)
• I hate bugs. They love me, unfortunately, but I'm very sensitive to their bites. This makes being in the field photographing wildlife a big challenge for me, because there's bugs all the time.
• I can't eat beef anymore, or have dairy {except I can have cheese, thank goodness!}, due to tick bites from the Lone Star tick and an "allergy" I've acquired as a result, called Alpha Gal Syndrome. **In October of 2019, I had a very specific acupuncture treatment done to stop my reactions from AG, as well as various other allergens. I thank God for that treatment, as it gave me my life back after a very rough year in 2019 due to the Alpha Gal. The treatment is called the SAAT Treatment, and is an ear acupuncture technique only done by acupuncturists specifically trained in that technique. It works for ALL allergies, not just AG and is the only thing that helped when traditional medicine failed!
• As I've grown older, I've gotten really sensitive to strong smells. Someones perfume or cologne, for example, will give me a day-long headache even if I'm only around it for a few minutes. I have since learned, those substances contain animal ingredients, which is probably why I became sensitive - thanks to the Alpha Gal.
• I love coffee, chocolate, peanut butter, and pizza. Oh, and I love shrimp, too. :) Unfortunately, due to the Alpha Gal, I also became intolerant of some of these favorite foods, so I rarely have them anymore. That tick bite did a number on my system, and I am now a strong advocate of using INSECT PROTECTION when out in nature. I haven't had a new tick bite since I've been wearing clothing from InsectShield.Com.
• I hate exercising to be "exercising"...but give me a bird to follow around with my camera, and I can get tons of exercise without even realizing it.
• I love people who support my life choices, and I can't stand people who try to tell me how to run my life.
• I choose to have one really, really good friend to talk to about the real personal stuff in life, rather than a bunch of people.
• I give generously to my customers - I love them and am so grateful they love and appreciate my hard work!
• I hate those who copy from me and steal my work. I have no patience for that.
• I often respond to people the same way they approach me. For example, a nice approach will get a nice response - a snarky one will not.
• There is no room in my life for negativity, and I will push it out the door as fast as it tries to come in. I don't watch or read the news, and I choose to step away from negative people and situations.
• I love crime shows. All the Law and Order shows, NCIS, and Forensic Files are just a few of my favorites. That being said, I don't watch much TV.
• I do love HGTV, though! When I'm feeling down or uninspired, I'll watch HGTV for a while to get re-inspired. :)
• I love using bold color in my art. Even when the market calls for bland, clean and simple colors, I'll still use bolder, richer colors.
• I don't do custom work. My last custom order was back in 2010 and while the dog was great, the human was not. NEVER. AGAIN.
• I don't have a team of people working with me - my business team consists of me, myself, and I.
• I am a cat magnet - any stray cat in my area seems to end up at my place.
• I also have a wide range of wildlife who visit my place...in addition to the songbirds I feed, I have raccoons, possum, three different species of hawks, and one owl. Occasionally there will be a deer or a fox. And no, I don't live in the country {though I wish I did!}
• I am claustrophobic - I can't stand to be penned up in closed in spaces!
• I rarely go shopping in stores - I prefer online shopping to avoid being in noisy places with lots of people.
• When I do go out shopping, it's most likely at Hobby Lobby or Lowes. :)
• I have a daughter who has followed in my creative footsteps. She has her own business here.
• My son is a computer geek -- thank goodness, because I get all of my computer work done "on the house". :)
• My daughter in law is a people photographer - thank goodness, because when people ask me to do family photos, I can now send them to her. I. DON'T. DO. PEOPLE. LOL!
• My husband puts up with me and does whatever I ask. I've trained him well. :)
• A German Shepherd of almost 13 years ruled my life until he passed away in June of 2019.
• After I had my son, my straight hair turned curly. To be honest, it drives me crazy and most of the time, I have it in a ponytail to keep it away from my face. Because it's a frizzy kind of curl...especially in our humid Tennessee weather!
• I've been gray since I was in my late 20's. Thanks Dad. :)
• My mom is crazy and my dad is nuts. So if I come across that way sometimes, I blame them. :)
• If I had all the money in the world and didn't have to pay bills, I'd still do the things I do, because ...