In 1998 I walked away from a "successful" career as a litigator in order to paint. I work at my Dupont Circle home/studio in Washington, D.C., in the company of three cats and, on occasion, the elusive and multi-talented EMT, musician and environmentalist, Bob Fener. I am largely self-taught, although I have studied with several very gifted Washington area artists including Annette Polan (portraiture), Patrick Kirwin (realism and illusion), and Mary del Popolo (color).

Like most artists, I paint because I have to; the paintings are lined up inside my head demanding to be realized. The Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca reportedly said that there are three elements favoring the divine spark of inspiration: demonic irrationality, proximity to nature, and an awareness of death. For me, the magic of painting is to enter a realm unbound by everyday rules and conventions, yet inspired by the mystery and beauty of nature. My painting is informed by the nostalgia and even absurdity of the moment - the consciousness that all existence is flux.

I paint to pay tribute to the fragile beauty of insects, the brilliance of flowers and autumn leaves, the fleeting moment when rooftops at sunset shine like jewels, the patterns in stone, the shifting colors of water, the grace of a cat, the iridescence of a fish, the humor in the eyes of a friend. Artists are told that they must paint as if they had an eternity, and also as if each day were their last. Somewhere in the tension between those poles, there is a state of enchantment where the artist, if she is fortunate, is allowed to briefly visit, and maybe even hike around a bit and have a snack. My paintings are postcards from this state; I hope some may reach recipients who will read and enjoy their messages, as opposed to wondering: "What crackpot sent this?"