I’m a self-taught visual artist from Northeast Mississippi. I grew up with a strong artistic influence from my mother, who fostered my creativity from a young age. I loved art class all through school and studied print journalism in college at the university of mississippi where I took classes in photography, layout, and graphic design.

in 2018 I was at my parents’ house and, on a whim, picked up my little sister’s abandoned art kit. I’d been curious about oils, and this seemed like a low-stakes way to experiment. on a piece of my mom’s watercolor paper I painted a picture of a historic building in my hometown of corinth. then, I shared it on social media and — to my surprise — received lots of encouragement to make and sell prints of the painting.

just like that, my art business was born.

I began to get requests for commission work and, at first, said yes to anything and everything. this proved helpful as it allowed me to explore a sampler platter of different types of art, subjects, and mediums with the structure and accountability of deadlines. It meant I had to prioritize my art practice, which helped me gain confidence.

I painted everything from people’s homes to their wedding bouquets. I painted Dogs, historic buildings, embryos, meaningful scenes from nature, even portraits of people.

eventually, though, the commissions became constraining and I stagnated. after several years I didn’t have a distinct style, and I didn’t enjoy my process of tight, detail-oriented painting. I felt like a jack of all trades and master of none. I wanted to be more impressionist and expressive, making loose, painterly brushstrokes with thick, juicy oil paint.

In 2023 I committed to getting better. I set off down a path of learning that introuduced me to artists like Ian Roberts and his wife Anne ward, chris fornataro, Clare Bowen, anne blair brown, and Carol marine. I read books, watched YouTube videos, enrolled in courses, and most importantly practiced — a lot.

I now have a much better understanding and appreciation for oil paint, my preferred medium. i’m drawn to strong compositions with natural elements and beautiful light, and my color palette is rich and lifelike. I want to make art that’s classic enough to enhance a room in any home or surrounding while fresh and lively enough to withstand the test of time.

engaging subjects, confident execution.

That, my friends, is where you find me now. I still learn something new every time I pick up a paint brush. and that’s what keeps me coming back for more! this year i hope to make art daily and, in the warmer months, learn to plein air paint.

I hope you will follow along as I grow and evolve. thank you, thank you for being here.