I started painting when my children were little. I needed a way to exist in a new world that was not my own any more. I lost my youthful identity and freedom. I was responsible for 3 more lives in the time span of 3 years, and I was hardly prepared for that. I am an accidental artist. I started painting as a coping mechanism to express my lost self. My paintings showed themselves to me as figures.. They appeared over and over again for many years...they still pop up today... Perhaps they are unintentional self-portraits. Loose and free brushstrokes underneath, followed by controlling hard lines to contain all the chaos on the surface. Relatable to people who experience their own feelings of confusion and constraint. Today, my children have grown into amazing young adults, and I have officially retired as a middle school art teacher. My self-identity is slowly recovering, showing itself in the form of florals as a recurring theme in my art...I am...blooming, as if in hibernation far too long. .