Stories have been part of my life from the beginning.

I grew up on tales told in the Appalachian narrative tradition. My family cultivated in me their love of books and, by the time I was in school, I was an avid reader who knew all the librarians by name. We never had much, materially, but we always had books and stories.

I realized, early on that I had a gift for storytelling. I compelled, from my earliest childhood memories, to tell my own tales and create my own images, like those in the books I held dear.

Like any other kid with an overactive imagination, I told tall tales, which usually landed me in trouble. Trouble or not, I spent my days writing and drawing on anything that sat still long enough to mark on. I went through so much paper, that my mom often pulled scrap paper out of the bins at work for me to draw on. Heaven help her if she threw away any cardboard that came in packaging. I was recycling way before it became the fashion.

I went on to study illustration and graphic design at Virginia Commonwealth University and then embarked upon the long and winding, creative career path I’ve traveled up until this day.

My style is a whimsical, colorful mix of hand-drawing and digital painting. I like to let the drawing show through to keep the feeling of the work lyrical and loose, emphasizing line and form without feeling too polished or “digital.”

I’m inspired by mid-century illustration, Russian lacquer miniatures, analog photography, old cities, abandoned buildings, junk shops, used books, ephemera, really good animation, my two zany kids, my husband (and love of my life), two senior citizen felines (a.k.a. my studio foot and lap warmers) and, of course, the stories that touch the heart and fire the imagination.

That’s my story; what’s yours?