It all starts with a white clay-coated panel that has been coated with a layer of black India ink. The artist uses a sharp knife tool to scratch away the ink, allowing the white clay to show through. Techniques such as crosshatching and stippling are then used to render the subject in fine detail. The quality and detail that can be achieved through this process is very useful for creating textures such as fur, hair and natural surfaces like bark and grass. For this reason, scratchboard art lends itself to the rendering of animal and nature subjects.  

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A Digital Painting starts with a hand-drawn sketch on paper. When the drawing is finalized, the image is scanned onto a computer and opened in a painting program (I currently use Photoshop 7). With a Wacom tablet and stylus, I use a palette and brushes (created in Photoshop) to paint the finished piece with the same methods for an traditional painting… minus the messiness and cleanup time.

Yes, I majored in Illustration at the duCret School of Art in Plainfield, NJ. It was at duCret that I was introduced to both scratchboard and digital painting.

duCret provided me with the chance to explore and practice traditional techniques in drawing and paining in a wide variety of media. I found the life drawing and anatomy classes to be exceptionally beneficial in helping me to capture the movement and believability of animal figures.

Of course! My ultimate goal as a wildlife artist is to raise awareness and appreciation for our planet's creatures. I am committed to supporting wildlife organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife, the National Wildlife Federation and the NJ Audubon Society.

I do my best to minimize my carbon footprint and choose "green" options as often as possible. I also choose a vegan lifestyle- which I feel is a compassionate, healthy and environmentally friendly way of living.

There really isn't an animal I don't find fascinating in its own way. There is something to be admired in each and every creature. However, I do have a fondness for owls and bobcats :)