My Story

After leaving my career in environmental policy in Washington, D,C, I moved to a mountain in Asheville, NC, a place I had visited and loved. A friend suggested that since I liked art, I should check out the gallery of a local artist. His name was Jonas Gerard, who was world-renowned. I followed her suggestion. I got to his gallery, and I was immediately transformed into another world. A world of vibrance and color. I couldn't help but be swept away by it. I spent quite a bit of time there. Something transformed inside of me. I immediately got a sense of purpose, to express myself on canvas. His spark moved through me and I got a renewed interest in painting. I started painting every day, and made hundreds of pieces. Jonas served as a mentor to me, providing feedback on my work and challenging me to take risks - "jump without a parachute". I experienced some success, selling my work at coffee shops, offices, and restaurants around town, on Craigslist, and via my old website. When I left Asheville, I took his spirit and philosophy with me. As he taught me, the greatest challenge for any artist is to suspend judgement. To paraphrase Picasso, we are all born artists. The challenge is remaining one as we grow older. Jonas’ influence created a new life inside me. My paintings always come from moments of joy.