Born: Kansas City, Missouri, 1947
Served in Vietnam, U.S. Army
67th Evacuation Hospital in Qui Nhon
Army Orthopedic Nurse, 1969-1970

From the Artist:

I've always been an artist. During bad times as a child, I retreated to books and making pictures in my mind. My early public artistic experiences were frustrating. When my efforts did not look like the work of other children or adults, participating in grade school art became something to get through. As an adult, I enjoyed efforts by other people, but I remained a closeted artist.

I grew up in Rich Hill, Missouri. Upon graduation from Mercy School of Nursing in Fort Scott, Kansas, I became an Army Nurse. Upon returning to civilian life, I earned both my Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Nursing.

By 1996, I had developed severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and was no longer able to practice professoinal nursing. It was a very dark and perilous time. With a lot of help, I survived. It was during this time that I began to find solace in working with fiber, texture and color. Gradually, I began identifying and creating what I wanted to do.

I am an outsider artist. My work reflects human resilience and the will to survive.

About the painting, "Thousand Yard Stare:"

At the hospital, I remember an individual who was the only survivor in a group of soldiers. I don't remember his name or what he really looked like. 'Thousand Yard Stare' is my memory.