An enthusiastic student of art history and an art collector, I have studied botanical art since 2008, earning the Certificate in Botanical Illustration from Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. I have also studied with Wendy Hollender and Ann Swan, internationally renowned colored pencil artists, and with Lara Call Gastinger, illustrator of The Flora of Virginia.

Subjects, Genre, Media

In terms of subjects, I like exploring the textures and attitudes of plants near the ends of their life cycles, inviting the viewer to appreciate beauty in all stages. I am drawn to branches, lichen, pinecones, seed pods, and mushrooms. During the summer, I am a frequent visitor to farmers’ markets and enjoy rendering fruits and vegetables in all their glory.

I work primarily in watercolor, colored pencil, and pen and ink. I also work in fiber arts and eco-printing: the art of dying paper and fabric using leaves, flowers, and bark. Since retiring from full-time management consultant work in 2019, I have also studied and practiced picture book illustration and animal character design. Over the last year, I have been creating a series of illustrated recipes, which I aim to publish. Also, a passionate floral designer, I was asked to interpret art and exhibit in the 2021 Fine Art and Flowers event at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Exhibitions, Awards and Publications

My work has been juried into numerous exhibitions across the mid-Atlantic, including The Athenaeum’s non-botanical annual exhibit in Alexandria. Other exhibition venues have included Strathmore, Green Spring Gardens, Brookside Botanical Garden, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the Cultural Art Center of Glen Allen, VCU Cabel Library, Bath County Art Show, and Staunton Augusta Art Center’s “Art for Gifts.”

My watercolor and colored pencil works have been awarded blue ribbons and ‘Best in Show’ at the Virginia State Fair. An orchid rendering in watercolor earned a blue ribbon at the Virginia Orchid Society exhibit. My fiber art works have also been awarded blue ribbons and ‘Best in Show’ at the Montpelier Fiber Festival.

A set of drawings will be published in 2022 in digital form by the Brooklyn Art Library. My coloring book line drawing has been published by The National Cathedral for their Olmsted Woods project.

Artist Affiliations, Teaching and Public Speaking

I am a past president of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region and a member of the Central Virginia Botanical Artists. For the American Society of Botanical Artists, I serve as Board Vice President, Strategic Planning Chair, and Chair of the Artist Grants Committee. In the past two years, I have organized a group exhibition with botanical artists at the Staunton Augusta Art Center. I am a member of Sleepy Hollow Garden Club in Richmond and serve on both the district and state level garden club boards and as editor for the state quarterly publication, the Old Dominion Gardener. I am a “regular” at the Nimrod Summer Arts Program and has been selected for the artist-in-residence program at the Red House Residency in Bath County, Virginia.

I enjoy designing and conducting workshops for both adults and children. I have led adult workshops in pen and ink drawing, colored pencil drawing, floral design, card creation using pressed flowers, and fiber art. I have created “zines” (mini magazines) for children to color and assemble and have encouraged their artistic expression in library and garden programs. I have also presented ASBA’s “The Continuing Tradition of Botanical Art” to various garden club and art groups.