A focus on beauty and hope at the beginning of the pandemic led me to draw, paint, and create mixed media art in my home studio in Hillsboro. Drawing inspiration from nature, I use a variety of paints, papers, and mark making tools to create joyful and engaging pieces that explore abstract themes and often celebrate botanicals in the home, through the window, or encountered on a walk.  I enjoy using color, shape, contrast, and layers to draw the viewer in and invite careful examination of subtle details and complex visual textures. The layers are usually made up of hand painted and found papers, although bits of fabric and added stitched elements often find their way into my work, reflecting a lifelong love of textile arts such as quilting and needlework.