About Me

I am a colored pencil mixed media artist who works with several types of mediums including colored pencil & Turpenoid, pastel, acrylic, watercolor, collage, and graphite pencil.

My art education includes an Associate Degree in Fine Art at Fullerton College, and art classes at Boise State University.

I have my own business, Chick Artistic Creations, where I work as a freelance artist and art teacher.

I am a member of the Treasure Valley Artist Alliance in Idaho, the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Colored Pencil Society of Boise, Idaho.

My pastel portrait of Princess Diana was published in 2007, in a coffee table book, Diana in Art, (Caxton Publishing). In 2017 I was commissioned to create the cover art for a music CD by Richard Soliz and the Blue Rayz.

I have exhibited my art in various venues, galleries, online exhibits and juried art shows throughout the U.S. My art has been exhibited at the Las Laguna Art Gallery in California and Water's Edge Art Gallery in Boise, and the Initial Point Gallery in Meridian, Idaho.

Awards & Honors

“Siletz Bay Tiny Tree”

I won Honorable Mention at the Boise CPS Online Juried Art Exhibit!

“Winter Wolf”

I won honorable mention at the Treasure Valley Artists Alliance Opus Juried Show at the Water’s Edge Art Gallery

Best of Other Media For ‘Owl Scowl’ in 2021 Western Idaho Fair

First Place for ‘Glory in the Flower’ at the 2021 Western Idaho Fair. This also won Honorable Mention at the Art & Soul Juried Show in Twin Falls, Idaho

‘Still Waters’ won Best of Drawing in the 2020 Art & Soul Juried Art Show in Twin Falls, Idaho

‘Gibbons Falls’ won Third Place at the 2023 Western Idaho Fair

My Creative Process

Some of my artistic technique is interpreted through an unusual process that involves colored pencil, cotton swabs and the solvent, Turpenoid, in combination with other mediums. When Turpenoid (an odorless form of turpentine) is applied to the colored pencil, using a cotton swab, it breaks down the waxy based pencil color and creates an interesting effect that looks more like a painting than a drawing. This method involves both drawing and painting because you actually paint with a cotton swab instead of a brush.

My Art Is An Expression Of My Faith

I wonder if people really understand why they are drawn to nature’s spectacular creations such as landscapes and animals? I think it is because they are about the essence of God and who He is. He creates from a place of truth. God understand beauty and can create beauty that speaks to our hearts.

Life and beauty comes from God through His son, Jesus. Jesus came to give us life more abundantly. He is able to give you far more than all you ask or think if you trust and believe in Him.

But this whole concept of knowing God has gotten a bad spin job and has been horribly misrepresented over the decades. It is not about religion, it is about a glorious and wonderful personal relationship. My art is an expression of the beauty that comes from having this personal relationship with Jesus.

References: John 10:10, John 3:16, Ephesians 3:20-21, I John 5:12

I Love Comic Cons

Comic Cons are so much fun! Although they call it a "Comic Con" it involves so much ore than just comics. It involves costume contests, gaming, strange and unusual crafts, and all kinds of science fiction genres. Sometimes you even get to meet some of your favorite celebrities. Check out the photo of me on the right of me with Sean Astin (Sam from Lord of the Rings.) Cool!

Since I draw and paint what I am passionate about, such as science fiction, I ended up creating a line of art and crafts that focused on various genres such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and anything else in the Science Fiction world that appealed to me. And I also found out that my hand painted rock animals are a big hit with the comic con crowd, so that is a part of my wares too.

I Love To Travel

One thing I really love to do a lot is to travel and see the incredible beauty of nature that can be found in mountains & forests, oceans and beaches. I don't get to travel as often as I would like, but I try to plan one big vacation once a year. I visited Yellowstone for the first time in 2022. Then in 2023 I explored the Grand Tetons and the City of Jackson, Wyoming for the first time. These places are incredibly beautiful and really inspire me as an artist and fuels my creativity.

When I was visiting the Grand Tetons, I discovered Jackson, Wyoming which is a big art community. I spent a whole day just exploring art galleries and it was heaven.