My Childhood House Drawing

My dad gave me a giant piece of paper which came in between the pieces of paneling for our basement. It kept me busy for hours and, in fact, months as I would fill it with streets and houses. 
This image is only one tiny section of it...

Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri and having both parents as artists, I started drawing and painting at a very young age.

In fact, my favorite subject was houses. I would spend hours on my hands and knees filling up a giant piece of paper with neighborhoods and houses of all different styles. I got my ideas as we drove in the car and I often drew what I saw out the window.

I pursued my passion for drawing and painting by studying in the University of Indiana's Bachelor of Fine Arts program and then received a BS in Art Education from the University of Missouri Columbia. After college I lived in France for 2.5 years. I married a Dutchman, and lived in the Netherlands for13 years. While being a homemaker and mother of four, I also worked as a freelance artist.

Over the years I saw my business growth. Never would I have dreamt that I got commissions from all over the country.  I enjoy what I'm doing and believe my work gives pleasure to my clients. 

It all starts with a good photograph. I asked a family member to take a good picture of this New York townhouse on 82nd Street (near the Metropolitan Art Museum). From there it's a detailed pencil drawing of the house which will be the basis for the various phases of the watercolor. 
This watercolor painting was a realtor closing gift.