After my third (of four) abdominal surgeries for ulcerative colitis a few years ago, my mom sent me a few art supplies, her Hummel (Little Artist) and a note that said "Get back to your art."

The next summer I did. . . I took a once a week sketching class at a local nursery, taught by the master gardener there, thus joining the "Artists in the Garden." Less than 18 months later I was hanging my first solo show with our local arts commission . . .

I work in colored pencil, pastel, watercolor and other mediums. . . and am very grateful that I have something I can do that doesn't interfere with being sick and tired all the time!


A few examples:


Retired, watercolor


Baja Gold, colored pencil


Where Mountain Meets Sky: Muir Snowfield, pastel


My avatar is a colored pencil I did from a thermal photo I took of myself with my MacBook. It is a little different than most of the work I do. . . .

Oh . . . I didn't just become an artist after my health went South. It is what I was SUPPOSED to be, but realistic life got in the way many decades ago. And since life with Crohn's, et al, is so unreal at times. . . I figured I had nothing to lose finally being the real me!

By the way. . . I have no idea how to post the thumbnails that everyone else does. . . can anyone enlighten me as to where to go for instructions? I imagine they save bandwidth or something . . .