I have been an artist as long as I can remember, and I have a pretty long memory! I sold my first painting at 17 years old in an art expo at my high school. The next day I tried to buy it back because I was sure I'd never do anything that good again! Fortunately that wasn't the case, but I'd put that painting up against my best and I think it would still hold up. I denied my art for 25+ years. It came out in crafts and home decor, as well as personal greeting cards I made. But in the mid '90's I felt a spiritual need to create art...more