I am a life-long artist, but my love of nature and science prevented me from being a full-time artist until I retired from my career with nature parks and botanical gardens. I have always followed two complementary passions - nature and art. As a child, I wanted to know all I could about the plants around my home - especially during the three short years we lived in Pharr, Texas on the Texas/Mexico border. I drew and painted everything I saw around me, from the tropical plants in our yard to the faces of my friends. My life has continued along these lines. In 1972 I abandoned painting to study plants, and to illustrate them with pen & ink. A PhD in Botany and a career in public garden administration followed, which allowed me to combine these passions. Now, I paint and teach art almost full time. In addition to painting portraits in watercolor of the people I've met across Latin America, and the plants I love, I am producing large canvases in acrylics on a variety of topics, but which are often botanical, or at least feature natural elements. Prickly Pear patches have become my favorite subject.My specialties are: Fundraising for environmental projects, Graphic design of brochures & fundraising materials, Grant writing, Fine art and illustrating. I am available to design brochures and other promotional materials. I teach adult students to paint in watercolor and acrylics.