About

I love animals. I've been painting for over 20 years, and have painted over 300 different animals so far. My goal is to paint every type of animal in existence. There are lots of animals, so I have a long way to go!

But honestly, cats are my favorite. I have three cats (Karma, Panda Bear, and Mr. Samadhi), and most of my cat paintings are based upon them. I also have a disability, a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Basically, this means I have tendinitis in most of my joints. Needless to say, I have bad days. And my cats are always there for me. Years ago, my doctors recommended I do something to destress. So that’s why I started painting portraits. I chose my cats as subjects because they’re my favorite thing in the world. I quickly developed a real love for painting, almost as much love as I have for cats!

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My Mission

I feel blessed to have grown my art business into a full-time career. To be able to do what I love every day, despite my physical condition, makes me feel deeply thankful for my life. It also makes me want to pay it forward to the animals that have been the foundation of my career. There are so many animals starving, homeless, and in animal shelters. My mission is to try my best to help some of them.

That's why each year I donate artwork to animal charities to be auctioned off to help animals in need. The nonprofit organizations keep 100% of the proceeds from these sales.

I also love helping other artists. So I regularly make YouTube videos that teach artists how to run an business, do art fairs, and paint in acrylics. Art has transformed my life. And my goal is to help artists who are just starting out transform theirs in a similar way. Following one's passion is the best way to live a life... at least in my opinion :)

Art Gallery Tour (from 2017)

I live in Wichita, Kansas. I have a home-based studio and show my work at art fairs throughout the midwest. I also used to have an art gallery in Wichita’s Towne West Mall, but I had to close it due to Covid and my health. Watch this TV interview I did with KSN news in my gallery.

I’m currently focusing on several bodies of work in various mediums. Variety is the spice of life, and I love to experiment with things in my art practice! So as you browse my website, you’ll see abstract paintings and surreal landscapes alongside my animal paintings. 

I paint animals in a colorful style I call visionary impressionism. My visionary impressionist paintings can pretty much be thought of as Impressionism 2.0. I paint the light and movement that I observe with my eyes, like the classical Impressionists did, but I also paint what I feel emotionally and sense intuitively. I kind of like to think I'm opening myself up to their essence and painting animals' souls.

Since each painting focuses on a particular animal, and animals will not hold still for me to look at them while I paint, I begin by photographing them. I enjoy visiting zoos to take these photographs. After I choose the best photo, I print and tape it to my wall so that the animal can “model” for me. Then I paint each painting by hand with the acrylics.

The Making of My Orangutan Painting of Ponji from Sedgwick County Zoo (no sound)

Although I started painting animals exclusively in acrylics, during the pandemic I learned digital painting. And I've grown to really enjoy it. So sometimes I make digital animal portraits on my iPad. I use a program called Procreate. It gives you digital paint and paint brushes to use to draw with an Apple Pencil.

Photos with Customers and the Original Paintings They Purchased

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Education & History
I’ve always been drawn to exploring inner worlds—first through studying psychology, and now through painting. I earned an Associate of Arts degree in 2-D Design when I was 18, then later returned to school to complete a Bachelor’s in Substance Abuse Counseling and a Master’s in Psychology. During that time in my life, I also wrote several books (now out of print) about personal transformation and the experiences that shaped me, including lessons from my early years experimenting with altered states of consciousness.

Looking back, that chapter feels like a whole different lifetime. Aside from a few isolated occasions over a decade ago, I’ve been living substance-free for 18 years. Choosing sobriety was a turning point that brought clarity, peace, and a deeper connection to life. It changed everything. And painting animals now feels like the most honest expression of who I am: grounded, present, and full of love for the natural world. My path forward is all about color, connection, and creating work that celebrates the beauty I see in others.