Hello
I'm a Microbiologist by day and Artist by night.
When I was in middle school, I started my first little art business selling handmade cards. I carried around a binder filled with my designs, and when someone chose one, I would recreate it by hand and then hand deliver it. Looking back, I was always looking for creative ways to make money so I could make more art. I was basically an entrepreneur at 12.
My career, however, took me in a very different direction. I went to school for biochemistry and Food Science & Technology, focusing on microbiology, and spent 10 years with the USDA studying antimicrobial resistance. But through all of it, I never stopped creating. I continued painting and drawing, taking art classes at night and learning through online courses.
I've always loved learning, whether it's science or art. To me, they both involve the same skills. Both require curiosity, experimentation, problem-solving, and creativity and I'm happiest when I'm learning something new.
Today, I mostly paint People, Pets, and Plants, using lots of bright color and sometimes in unexpected ways. My style has evolved into a blend of expressive realism, bold color, and an offbeat sense of humor. I'm not trying to make something perfectly photographic. I'm trying to capture what makes a subject memorable: an expression, a gesture, an unusual color, or some tiny quirk that gives it personality.
Whether I'm painting a person, a pet, a flower, or a possum squished into a ridiculously tiny canvas, I want it to feel alive, unique and just a little unexpected.