I have always wanted to be an artist. In elementary, I said I wanted to be, "an artist, and a mommy".
It hasn't changed. I have many different interests, but creating art has always been a huge part of my life.
I just did it for fun, until one day as a teenager, I drew a character from the book my sister was writing. I remember so clearly both her and my dad telling me about how good it was that it made me realize, this is what I wanted to do. I haven't stopped creating art since.
Drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, I love it all.
However, my first semester of college I fell in love with watercolor.
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I grew up in the Midwest on a hobby farm of about 300 acres.
This farm was my playground.
I'm one of nine children and grew up next to my cousins. There was always someone to play with.
We spent hours using our imaginations: being explorers of the forests, finding fairies, fighting dragons, building forts, and being mermaids in the creek.
I have great parents; they taught me to work hard as well. On a farm there is always work to be done. We raised beef cattle and grew most of our own hay.
It was a great way to grow up.
It taught me to work hard and play hard.
My father believed whenever possible traveling was important to a person's education.
At twelve, my dad took my sister and me to Sweden as my first big adventure. Since then, I have been so blessed to be able to travel around most of the United States, as well as the Caribbean, Ireland, England, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, and a medical mission to Peru.
These places have taught and inspired me so much. There is so diversity in the world. There is much good and beauty around the world.
It has made me a better person, and it has inspired my art.
Artist
Traveling
Growing up
Growing up, we always had a garden, but it wasn't until I worked at the University's greenhouse while attending there that the love of plants awoke in me.
Plants are amazing and can be so therapeutic. They are one of the many things that inspire me.
Gardening has become a large part of my life. Growing something beautiful and growing my own food is something I just love!
In college, there was only one thing I knew I wanted to study: Art.
I did, and I had a blast! I took watercolor, drawing, ceramics, photography, color and design, and more. I graduated with my Bachelor's of Art in Studio Arts in 2018.
Since then, I have continued to learn from those around me and have enjoyed continuing to make art!
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The most important thing to me is my family. My husband and I met while we were both attending college.
We are happily married for several years now and are working on our goals for our future success and family: where we are done with school, have awesome careers, children, a dog or two, and a boat. We aren't there yet, but we are loving and going to have fun all along the way .
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