Lilac In Springtime Painting

I was born in Cedar Rapids, IA, lived in California for many years, wound up in a small town in Arkansas, where I finished raising my kids. After the children were all grown up, I set up a studio and really got serious about my art. While I did take some art classes in high school, I am mostly self-taught. I developed my techniques through trial and experimentation. Taking ideas from books available at art retail outlets, watching old videos of art classes on the cable and internet, I applied brush to canvas and made them my own. I tried several mediums to see what felt right. Everything from stones, to wood, a few works on glass and mirrors, and on one memorable occasion, I painted a whole room mural in my house. To add some variety, I also work in Pen & Ink, usually hard black inks, very fine points with some colored pencil shading. I always seemed to come home to traditional oil on canvas. It is there that my work flows most naturally.