My Story

Art is not just my profession — it is the center of my life, and it is a joy to help others discover and express their own creativity.

In 2017, after retiring from my medical career as a nurse practitioner specializing in emergency pediatrics in Santa Barbara, CA, I picked up a camera for the first time. I wanted a portable art form I could take on our camping trips around the country rather than carrying paints and supplies. What began as practicality quickly turned into passion. Photography allowed me to compose images with the same artistic intention I bring to painting—striving for simplicity, color harmony, composition, light, and contrast.

I am self-taught in both photography and painting, supported by a handful of workshops over the years. I often combine the two mediums, using photographs for painting inspiration or incorporating them into mixed-media collage work. Painting and photography continue to inform each other in ways that surprise and inspire me.

Now living in the desert, I have grown to love its complex simplicity. I find endless inspiration in the dramatic monsoon clouds, the warm glow of sunrise and sunset, and the stillness that lives in the desert landscape. I also enjoy photographing flowers in a way that reveals something unexpected — an abstract angle, a hidden detail, a softer or more mysterious side of a bloom.

Another place I love to explore with my camera is the rodeo grounds. I look for meaningful, emotional moments that tell a story — whether it’s a rider preparing for competition, a horse in motion, or a quiet gesture between people and animals. One of my most memorable images is of a bronc rider kneeling in prayer before his ride. These are the moments that stay with me and remind me why I create.