Prickly Pear Painting

After not painting for 28 years (since high school), my daughter and husband thought it was time for me to start up again. When I start a painting, I have a vague idea of what I want, but I let the canvas and brushes lead me to the finished product. I have no formal education except for what I learned in high school and would consider myself self-taught. During this time, I turned to photography to garner inspiration for my paintings. As others saw my photographs, I was encouraged to pursue this avenue along with my painting. I turn to nature and the world around us for most of my inspiration. I see beauty in small mundane objects such as a grain of sand, rain drops or a bird's nest that others might pass by and not notice. I want to bring this respect of our world to others in a way that they might not have imagined or seen before. I want others to appreciate the world we are in as much as I do.