My love for animals and art started at an early age. I have been drawing since I was a young girl. Growing up in the National Capital area, my parents encouraged my art through many trips to art museums and enrolling me in art classes. Our garden was next to acres and acres of wooded parkland and therefore, I had many animals to observe and sketch. My own pets, including a pair of ducks, Camilla and Eggbert, posed for many drawings.

While pursuing my Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at the College of Charleston, in SC, I took as many painting classes as my busy schedule would allow. Upon graduation, I worked as a field Biologist in Sea Turtle Conservation at a National Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina, but continued to draw and paint for enjoyment. After the sea turtle season ended, I moved back to DC and began working for the U.S. Navy as a Biologist in the Natural Resources Conservation Department at the David Taylor Model Basin, Carderock, MD. While I was completing my Masters degree in Environmental Science at Johns Hopkins University, I painted my first dog portrait for a friend's birthday present. I fell in love with the creative process and continue to enjoy painting pet portraits in my Georgetown Studio, with my two dogs, Abbey and Boone, at my feet.

My love for animals, especially my wonderful dogs, strongly influences my art. I enjoy the challenge of capturing not only an animal's likeness but also their spirit and personality, which is why I focus on the eyes.

Our pets provide us with unquestioning love and devotion; by capturing your animal's unique personality in my paintings I hope to provide you with a long lasting connection to your pet.