Jones Gallery

My love for drawing and painting started at a young age. While at Cloverdale Junior High, a pastel drawing of a pair of Siamese cats entitled “Twins” earned an award at Montgomery Public Schools Art show at Montgomery Mall.  This event and recognition fueled my passion. Later, I was trained in Graphic Design which I feel is key in how I approach each one of my paintings, as a total design, so the composition is very important. I often chose landscapes as my subject matter which allows me to lose myself in the scene and actually live it, or relive it if it’s an area I’ve traveled. I started painting in acrylics and quickly moved to oils because of their richness in color and buttery texture which allows me to create movement in my paintings with fluid brush strokes. My goal with each piece I paint is to edit the scene and paint something convincing and yet leave the viewers imagination to fill in information. An artist’s mind never stops seeing. I see color combinations in my dreams and often solve problems in a painting I am working on while sleeping. I believe it’s important to continue one’s education as an artist. There is not one way to paint and working with different artists serves as “cross training” to help you see things differently and keep you excited about your art. I’ve studied under some great local artists as well as regional and national favorites, Roger Dale Brown, Stanka Kordic, Maggie Siner, Anne Blair Brown, David Shevlino and Mike Hernandez. Despite the importance of workshops, the very best training is the time you take to work on your own art, for there is nothing better than “brush mileage” to teach you how to improve your paintings. Many people are born with a gift- but that is only the beginning. It’s what you do with that gift that makes the difference. Art is a form of communication and each artist has their own story to tell. It’s important to stay true to yourself as an artist- don’t let others use your voice.