I have had an affinity for the creative side of
life for as long as I can remember. In retrospect I realize that it was
the rich country life that nourished my imagination and left me with a
deep appreciation for life, creativity and the beauty of nature.
As a child growing up in rural Brandon, Mississippi, (near Jackson), I
spent many hot barefooted days with friends and cousins, playing and
inventing games, creating and acting out plays, building playhouses,
making toys, etc.. We would act out plays in full costumes that we made
from objects found around the house and in the woods. Other times we
would explore the woods, follow a stream to see where it would take us,
catch strange creatures at the edge of my parent's pond or search the
woods and roadsides for plums, berries, grapes and muscadines. I often
call upon these experiences to capture a mood when I am painting.
