Experiment, Dream, Create, Play
How my watercolor journey began.
I was introduced to watercolor in college while attending Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle.
I took an Architectural Illustration course taught by the incredible Stephanie Bower.
I had wanted to understand perspective so that I could create better background scenes in my comics, but ended up finding a medium that would change my entire artistic trajectory.
To begin with, I was terrified of color and frustrated with accurately rendering what I was seeing. But I kept pushing through my mental blocks under Stephanie’s encouragement. We went to Italy and spent a week sketching and painting the medieval village of Civita di Bagnoreggio where I cultivated my new art form.
Thanks to Stephanie, I kept going, and fell in love with it. I got into the habit of keeping a sketchbook and paints in my purse or bag wherever I went. I even started my own sketchers group in Jacksonville, OR. This passion led me to not only pursue my creativity, but to share what I learned. I began teaching officially in 2017 in Roseburg, OR at the Umpqua Valley Arts Association (UVA), and later in my own studio. But it wasn’t until a few years ago that I began focusing on watercolor as a gateway medium for new artists in my community.
And I use nature to play, whenever I can. I’ll study a leaf and transform what I see into fairy wings, or watch a sunset and see how many colors I can identify by their paint names.
Now, that may not sound playful to you, but our interests, things that make us happy or sad, or any plethora of feelings can be put into our art. That is play. Not really focusing so much on a result as much as allowing yourself to be open to possibilities.
It’s amazing what you can create just by pushing a pigmented blob of water across a page.
I slowly realized that “play” was the most important aspect of pursuing an art form. For me, nature is a constant source of inspiration. I consistently wrap it into my classes. The color of a butterfly wing, the shape of a flower…
And the journey continues…
2015 Italy trip with one week under Stephanie Bower’s tutelage.
Love Locks in Paris, France 2015
Cinque Terre - Riomaggiore, Italy 2015
Paris, France 2015
Ireland, 2015
Ireland, 2015
Santa Barbara, CA USA 2016
State Street, Santa Barbara, CA USA 2016
Daily sketching. Finding challenging and inspiring subjects. Santa Barbara, CA USA 2016
Experimenting with the watercolor medium in my comic art. Carnation, WA USA 2015
Watercolor, dip ink, gold Sharpie. Carnation, WA USA 2015
Watercolor and Micron waterproof pen. Enjoying the versatility of watercolor and the playfulness it adds to my comic illustrations. Carnation, WA USA 2017
Entering the comic world as a storyteller and artist in 2015 at an Animation Expo. I had been invited to participate by Professor and Animator, Tony White. Seattle, WA USA
I was fortunate enough to capture this image while attending the Comic/Animation Expo in 2015. Seattle, WA USA
The lightbulb moment of seeing how watercolor can be the primary medium in my comic art. Pig and Puma. Carnation, WA USA 2016
Using my photographs from the family farm to keep challenging myself. Carnation, WA USA 2016
Become braver with high contrast and loving it! Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Working on a large scale to challenge myself. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Enjoying the process and creating work that I love and am challenged by. DragonStorm. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Using the natural world around me as inspiration. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Creating comics with watercolor, both traditionally and digitally in Procreate. Jacksonville, OR USA 2023
Botanical studies from flowers we grow on the farm. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Staying playful. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025
Sketching the town to keep up skills on the go and to better cherish memories. South Stage Cellars Tasting Room. Jacksonville, OR USA 2021
Experimenting with my travel photography by painting magical creatures into the scenery using acrylic and gouache. Jacksonville, OR USA 2025. Photo is Rosslare, Ireland 2015.
Acrylic painting of comic characters. Jacksonville, OR USA 2022
Acrylic painting of comic characters. Jacksonville, OR USA 2022
Continuing to play and experiment with my comics with digital media using Procreate. Jacksonville, OR USA 2024
Continuing to play and experiment with my comics with digital media using Procreate. Jacksonville, OR USA 2024
Participating as a featured artist during Halloween month. Phoenix, OR USA 2025