Before I let my art go, it must speak something of the joy in my soul. If it speaks to another soul in passing, and brings a smile, a chuckle or a laugh, I have been successful. If one of my patterns brings joy to another person, I have done well.

I learned to do lots of practical things while I was growing up, but my soul has always been drawn to the more whimsical forms of expression. I learned to paint realistically first. Then I learned the decorative arts techniques and I was amazed and delighted when the whimsical little decorative articles I took to art shows, sold a lot faster than the oil paintings that spent days perfecting.

I learned the techniques of decorative art while the rebirth of this art was young, which means that I had to teach myself from directions in some of the first decorative painting books to hit the market in the late 60's and early seventies. Since books were the only directions available, I tried a number of techniques without the critical eye of teachers who had developed their own styles and prejudices. I developed my own style somewhere along the way, a style influenced by the art of the Russian fairy tale boxes that I love to collect. That was no surprise to me, since I have been drawing to the fanciful work of fantasy since I learned to read. What was a surpirse to me was that my results are very much like the Russian artists's results, but I arrived at then in a totally different way.

I learned to appreciate quilts playing under the quilting frame of the Spring Valley Ladies Aid at the church. Grandmas Palmer attended. One of my tresured memories is sharing my first baby quilt with grandman, and bemoaning the large stitches. She laughed her thank you for sharing with my laugh, and told me that the stiticher would grow smaller. The stitcher are smaller and the quilts are more fun. I look at pieced quilts and see background for painted dreams.

I have been a Certified Decorative Artist in the Society of Decorative Painters for 20 years. It took me two years to paint a passing entry after the first embarrassing attempt. In those two years, I developed the first seven pattersn of my own pattern line, Heavely Hangups and Earthly Creations. Since then, I have designed almost 200 patterns and published my first book.

If you are tired of the humdrum sameness of reality, I invite you to leave the messier things of life for a a backyard garden and rich fabulous color is the key to creative joyful adventures.