"In my work, I try to convey the appreciation I have for wildlife and nature along with my passion for water-media.  I love the spontaneity of the loose, wet-in-wet applications of watercolor, but find the experimental, mixed media techniques equally demanding and exciting.   Crows have been a part of my work for some time  They have led to growth in my work by encouraging experimentation with materials and helping me find new ways of interpreting familiar themes.

Prairies are another important theme in my work.   They are an ecological wonder plus their varied shapes, textures and linear features are sculptural qualities I‘m just beginning to explore.  My work is based on onsite drawings, photo references I've taken myself and hands on experiences.   I've traveled to Peru, Africa, India and Nepal.  And, I‘m a Volunteer Educator at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Center. I graduated from the School of the Dayton Art Institute and began my career in art with Gibson Greeting Card Co.  where I was an illustrator, then an art director.  I spent several years in commercial art before going out on my own to sell my paintings at the outdoor art fairs nationally and through other juried exhibitions.

While I continue to do a few outdoor art fairs, teaching has become a new direction in my career.  I teach mixed media workshops for organizations and am currently an adjunct at Sinclair Community College where I teach water-media classes."

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS The Creative Artist by Nita Leland, North Light Books; Drawing and Painting from Nature by Cathy Johnson, Design Press; The Best of Wildlife II, North Light Books; Confident Color, by Nita Leland, North Light Books. SELECTED EXHIBITS Ohio Watercolor Society annual exhibitions; Middletown Art Center Regional exhibitions;  Society of Animals annual exhibitions and Travel Shows National Geographic Society Explorers Gallery, Washington, DC Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, Charleston, SC National Zoo Wildlife Show ELECTED MEMBERSHIPS Ohio Watercolor Society, board of Trustees Society of Animal Artists, former member