These were the sorts of statements that would appear on every report card throughout my school years - so regularly that I dreaded progress report day. I've had dual citizenship between real life and my inner world from a very early age, and I've tried to express this unseen world through art from the time I could hold a crayon. I survived early childhood instruction where kids are taught the importance of coloring inside the lines. I continued art classes up until High School graduation, at which point I just stopped creating... I guess I believed that it was time to grow up, so I could no longer *play* in my inner world.

After nearly 15 years, I realized there was no way I could fully enjoy life if I kept trying to stifle my imagination, so I bought a few supplies and began to paint again... I was happier, life was inviting, colors were vivid... I had finally given myself permission to *play* again!

I kept playing for the next several years and in early 2004, I began to work with different mediums because of their easy portability, (india ink, color pencils, and paper). I still thoroughly enjoy painting on canvas, however, the majority of my studio time is spent on small scale, mixed media illustrations such as the ones featured in my first published children's book (Westie The Dog).   Affectionately referred to as "Mini Kini's", these miniature artworks are virtual snapshots of my inner world ~ providing glimpses of the world through my eyes.

I now know the importance of coloring outside the lines, but it wasn't until I learned to value the lines themselves, that I really began to feel at home in both my worlds.

Meet my real pets