do not remember a time when I was not fascinated by horses. Growing up poor in a small town, I had few opportunities to be around them, let alone ride. But I knew every horse within bicycle range, and how to call each one to the fence for carrots and petting. If I got into trouble in school, it was usually for drawing horses instead of taking notes.

I worked after school to earn the money to buy and feed my first, a $19 shetland pony I felt was being badly treated. Then a $60 starving mustang, barely green broke. Together we explored our little valley, until I graduated high school.

When I could not ride, I drew and painted, always horses. I never managed art school, I am what is called 'self taught'.

In October, I celebrated my 50th birthday. Now I have the bit of land, little house, good barn, and pasture full of horses I dreamed of so long ago. I work long hours in the city to pay the bills, and settle debts incured by a venture into the cattle business.....the year before the worst drought since the thirties, oh well.

My son introduced me to the web year before last. I did not have a computer.....(still don't, unless you count webtv.) Nearly twenty eight years since the day I said 'good-bye' to him through the nursery-glass, and signed papers promising never to see him again, allowing strangers to call him their son. He felt a need to know the truth, and used the web to find me. Two years later, we are working on a unique, but close relationship. And he is finding his 'nich' in my extended family, while I am enjoying a warm welcome into his adoptive family. My life will never be the same again, and I am so very glad!!

In the years between, I married, divorced (after 13 years), held a variety of jobs, and lived in a number of states. And managed to keep at least one horse in my backyard most of the time. My happiest memories from those years are of watching one of my horses teach my nieces and nephews, or the child of a friend to ride. And continued to draw and learn to paint a little. The charcoal sketches and paintings here are portraits of horses I've owned and those of friends or friends of friends. Some were done as gifts, some because I found the image captivating.......all were done using photographs at least in part. One day, I hope to devote full time to painting, meanwhile my little studio waits patiently for a free weekend or evening.