I've had the great fortune of being an artist for over thirty years. My art school training was in illustration and I worked in that field for seven years before my neurological symptoms began. I illustrated four children's books, worked with big companies such as Williams-Sonoma, Old Navy, Gap Kids, Clorox, and Cost-Plus World Market, and had my paintings appear in magazines, on towels, and many other products.

Illustrating was very demanding with short deadlines and strict guidelines. I loved the problem solving aspect of each project and the variety of all the different projects. It was demanding, engaging, and exhausting all at the same time.

Seven years into my career, I woke up one morning to blurry vision and nausea that progressed to split vision over the course of four days. My vision remained blurry for several months and slowly got stronger, but I am still left with a severe accommodative lag. I was under deadline when this happened and I all I cared about was getting out of the hospital, so I could get back to work. It is the only time in my illustration career that I was late for the deadline, by two days. I completed it by holding my left eye closed, so that I didn’t see double. It was not fun, but you get it done.

The weak eyesight did not allow me to continue as an illustrator, but it did not stop me from continuing to paint when my eyesight was cooperative, and I changed my focus to fine art as it is more conducive to part-time painting. Over the years, I have been able to  build a collector base and to succeed in the field of fine art.

There have been many exacerbations and long periods of time where I was not able to paint, but I never gave up.

My fine art painting became inspired by my love of animals.  As a child, I dragged home every injured squirrel, bunny, and bird. When I paint, I focus on color, texture, and the personality of the animal. I love to paint instinctively and choose the colors and tools as the painting develops. I paint in oil and use both brush and painting knives and enjoy moving around thick layers of paint on the canvas. The colors get mixed both on the palette and the canvas

In May of 2013, I had an MS exacerbation that left my right arm and shoulder weak with decreased coordination and fine motor skills.  It was a tough year of adjusting my living environment and adapting my life to one armed functioning. Nerve pain is intense and this was the worst I ever experienced. The spasticity down my right side was unrelenting. It felt like a ‘Charlie horse’ down the right side of my body for eight months, nonstop, twenty-four hours a day. The muscles were so tight that my arm wouldn’t stay in the socket and I had to go to a chiropractor twice a week for him to guide it back into the socket.

I was not able to paint for the rest of 2013. It was not my favorite year to say the least. There are many secondary conditions that come with MS and none of those make like easier or more pleasant.

In 2014, I received a mobile arm support that enabled me to paint again. There were definitely many emotions involved with this large piece of equipment joining my studio, but it quickly became normal and I feel a sense of pride when I strap my arm into it now. It makes me unique and tough, in that I won't quit. Just like the song- I am Titanium.

Painting was my life for twenty years. Making art your career is more of a lifestyle choice than a career choice because it tends to consume your life, ask any person who has dated an artist. Returning to my work after a year of waiting to see if I would be able to paint again, gave me a new perspective on what I want to achieve with my time at the easeI. I continue to try new techniques and tools which is engaging and frustrating all at the same time, I absolutely love the challenge!

The MS Society, when interviewing me for an article, asked what it meant to paint again. My response: “It means everything!”