The foothills of the Sierra Nevada aren’t just where I live, they’re part of how I live. Each day begins with the quiet company of quail in the grass, the deer moving through the oaks, herds of turkeys, birds at the feeders.  This land is alive with presence, and that presence lives in my paintings.

As a wildlife artist with roots in Wisconsin, I bring reverence for wild animals to everything I create. California has its own wild rhythm. Here, I find inspiration not only in the animals, but in the light.  The way it brushes across fur, filters through dust, and disappears behind the ridges. I don’t need to search far for subjects; they arrive unannounced, like a coyote crossing the road or a mountain lion’s tracks on a trail. Living with nature means remaining open to these encounters—and translating them into paint while they’re still fresh in my memory.  In California, the wild still breathes at the edges of every day.

Sandra