In the woods behind my childhood home grew the remnants of an oak savanna. Red and white oaks stood as sentinels to the passage of deep time. Their branches scooped low to the ground. Low enough to climb aboard. To be embraced by the trees. This place captivated my senses. It fueled my creativity and sparked a lasting reverence for nature. I often experienced a distinct “creative ache” to share this connection by exploring poetry and paintings. In college I studied Wildlife Management and received a Master's Degree in Plant Ecology with the intention of pursuing natural history illustration. After graduate school, I enrolled in several semesters of Drawing for Illustration and Figure Drawing. LOVED them!For twenty years I worked in the field of Natural Resource Management enjoying outreach and education to children and youth, technical writing, as well as, some natural history illustration. However, at some point I realized my career path did not contain the opportunities I craved and needed.Today, I am happily fusing my passions for art, science, and writing together into creative projects. This includes teaching art to elementary and middle school students via extended school programs, artist-in-residences, as well as mentoring high school students in scenic painting. I teach part time as a substitute teacher in art and science sharing my playful, inquisitive approach to life. By teaching in emotionally and intellectually meaningful ways, I hope to inspire students to be creative flexible thinkers.My first children's book, A Thousand Purring Cats, addresses emotional healing and the power of positive relationships. Purring Cats was published in July 2017. I am currently researching the science of kindness and am working on two manuscripts that explore this theme.