a timeline

I have always wanted to be an artist. Since I was a little girl, making art has been vital to my existence.

It’s who I am. Who I’ve always been. I could always draw just about anything. Anything I could actually see in front of me, that is, as long as it didn’t move. I learned to draw by copying pictures...not coincidentally the way my father learned to draw as a child. By the 5th grade I was into oil painting, in addition to sewing and embroidery.

My parents strongly encouraged us kids to get a college degree, and so I got my BFA in painting at the University of Denver. It was at DU that I learned to combine my love of drawing and painting with my love of fabric.

I’ve explored many different media over the years; quilting and embroidery held my interest for over twenty years, and as I acquired skills I shared them, teaching classes and designing my own line of quilt patterns - Columbine Designs. As you can see, the patterns are still selling, even though I haven't added any new designs in over 10 years.

Then, about 12 years ago, I started to burn out. My avocation had become my vocation, and I no longer stitched or designed for the joy of it. It had become Work. I was truly in despair. I floundered for a few years, trying desperately to get my “mojo” back. In the mean time I was looking for something different to do, and somehow discovered rubber stamping and then scrapbooking.

The “paper arts” industry gradually morphed into mixed media - which, for me, is just a fancy way of saying I love to play with all sorts of materials and methods - and I followed the trend. More and more, technology opened new doors for me: with the computer came the internet, digital photography and photo editing...and now blogging.

A turning point came in 2006 when I read Ali Edwards’ groundbreaking book, Life Artist. I came to the realization that my favorite theme is, and always has been, quite simply, Everyday Life. I have always been interested in family history; my parents each worked on their own genealogy, and I have access to a treasure trove of family photos spanning over 100 years. I continue to document our lives and our family history with scrapbook pages and various mixed media projects. I still love to play with everything artsy, from fabric and paper to paint and plaster to beads and metalwork, and now photography and photo editing...and blogging.

The adventure continues...