I am a self taught acrylic painter living in Tucson, Arizona. I first began painting ten years ago when I moved to Vietnam, teaching English in Hanoi. Living on Hoang Hoa Tham street (literally “Plant Street”), I was surrounded by beautiful and colorful plants. They also started appearing in my apartment - I couldn't resist! My love for plants grew and, not having to teach until the evening, I had plenty of time to explore using oil pastels I’d brought from home.

Discovering ‘Art Street’ which provided affordable acrylic paint and other supplies, I began to explore. With no formal instruction, no idea of rules or color theory, I felt unburdened, carefree. Some of my favorite paintings were created during this period, even to this day.

As one year in Vietnam became four, painting by day and teaching by night became my routine and when the time finally came to return to the United States, I continued to paint. Fortunate to live in beautiful landscapes that find their way on to my canvases, I am continually drawn to magnificent and resilient plants. Expression through painting plants and exploring the landscapes of the Southwest is the ultimate joy, the ultimate freedom.

Katie