July 2008 • VOLUME 35 • © HORSES For LIFE™ Magazine

Could you tell me when you first became interested in horses personally?

I was first fascinated with horses at a very young age. But it was my sister who was intensely drawn to them. Short of buying one and keeping it in our garage at home, we were fortunate to have taken riding lessons in our early teens. Living in the city of St. Louis did not afford too many opportunities to be around horses, so our weekend drives into the country and riding lessons were a real joy and luxury. Although it remained difficult to ride often or just be around horses, I was hooked.

Is this the art form that you started with?

No. I have loved art since I can remember….more than anything. I concentrated on it in high school and majored in it in college, therefore, I experimented in numerous mediums. It was not until six years ago that I stumbled across pyrography. My beloved dog had just died and I thought I would attempt burning her portrait on her crematory urn. Although it was my first attempt, I thought it wasn’t altogether terrible. Since then I have been rather obsessed with pyrography, my work has evolved and I have never looked back.

Why horses in your art? What attracts you to horses as an art form?