I still find my greatest peace when I am outdoors whether it is skiing, hiking, or fishing.  I turn the peace I gather on my journeys into full-scale pencil drawings which become art pieces using multiple fabrics, threads, and accessories.  My hope is to transfer my vision and emotions to the viewer.

I grew up in the Midwest near Lake Michigan.  My father was a teacher and took me and my sisters hiking from the time we could walk in the woods near our home by the lake.  While walking, I found myself fascinated by the endless shapes and colors of plants, moss, and landscape – microcosm to macrocosm and back again.  

As I grew, my fascination expanded to include fabrics, textiles, and found objects.  Shortly after beginning college life, I discovered traditional quilting as a way of relieving stress.  After college, marriage, and children, traditional quilting seemed confining and I experimented with working outside the boundaries.  I’ve studied with many artists who have helped me find my method and style of creation/construction.     

I have received awards and accolades, most notably first place in a national art competition in Washington, D.C. and publication in “Journey of an Art Quilter” by Barbara Olson.  While recognition on such scale is rewarding, I find that it can be distracting from my purpose as an artist – to create art work that I love and share it with others.

The purchase of one of my pieces is hopefully based on an emotional connection one feels with my work rather than on my personal resume.

Another love, also born of the outdoors, is creating organic skin care products using local wild-harvested herbs.  Visit www.theasbeebeautiful.com