Where were you born and where did you grow up?

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. I grew up in Chelmsford then moved to Fryeburg, Maine. Truth is, I've never grown up and never plan to.

What was the first thing you remember painting?

I used to copy Charlie Brown cartoons all the time when I was a kid, so that's what it was.

What painting were you creating when you realized this was your passion?

My first oil painting was of clouds in the sky, all different sizes and colors. The oil just moved so smoothly and blended exactly how I'd hoped. I fell in love with my paints; I'm still in love with them.

What brings you the most inspiration?

What I feel inside when looking at a scene. It's a dance of joyous emotions. My eyes fly along the lines of a shadow or a bit of light, up a chimney and over to a roof.

What three things do you need when you sit down to paint?

My music (always a Joni Mitchell cd in the mix), my old painty flannel shirt and a big glass of water.

Where is your favorite place to travel?

Cadaques, Spain, home of Salvador Dali. My twisty style was born there one summer. I wondered why no one had ever done a painting of Dali's village melting all over the mountains. So just for the fun of it, I brought my easel down to the water's edge and did one. The result was so freeing. I didn't have to fuss over proportion and perspective, but instead got to create my own world. When I got back to Paris, I did the same.

What would you be doing if you were not an artist?

A gardener playing with colors and smelling the earth instead of a painter playing with colors and smelling the oil.