About Me

I am a lifelong resident of Springfield Illinois and a graduate from Lutheran High School.  I received my BA degree in Art and Economics from Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois.  I credit my art degree for my constant pursuit of creativity which has allowed me to work successfully in a variety of roles for the State.  Thinking outside of the box comes very natural for me, which tends to go against the grain for most government jobs.  This has allowed me much success and growth in my career.

Painting and drawing have always been creative outlets and, given my environmentalist values of reduce and reuse, I love to paint and create on whatever I can find lying around the house.  Recently, this means that I have been raiding my husband’s wood scrap pile.  I love the lines and texture that Mother Nature creates in wood.  I find my current pieces are a reflection of my wanting to find peace and calm in everyday life.  Nature is art for everyone to enjoy, if you stop and take the time to view it.  The feeling I get from picking up a piece of wood, observing the imperfections and texture and lines….it’s peaceful, it’s joyful.  Observing and honoring the beauty of nature has allowed me to find my niche.  Lines are life: they represent movement and boundaries, firm and bold or subtly.  Lines in nature aren’t “perfect” and that has helped me gain perspective on what is beautiful and what is perfect for me.

I live in Springfield with my husband of 19 years (Alex) and my rescue dogs Lyle Cooper, Marvin Paul and Lizzy Sue.  When I am not busy painting, I enjoy long distance running.  I have completed one full marathon and multiple half marathons, 10Ks and 5Ks.  I recently accomplished an item from my bucket list: 100k ultra marathon. 

Who knows what is next for me!