For the most part, Tina is a self-taught artist, gaining experience in capturing strong figure movement from live-model classes in college. Also taking pastel portrait classes helped develop her skills with color, light and shadow. She combines this experience, along with her love of animals, to represent her subjects in a minimalist way while still capturing the main focus and movement. Working very loosely and experimentally with watercolors, allowing the natural flow and blending of the paint on varied degrees of paper wetness creates a unique view of her subject. For a more traditional, portrait style painting, she can increase the layers and detail of the watercolor or switch as easily to pastel or pencil. With her knowledge of horses and dogs, through years of owning, training and competition, she is committed to creating a correct representation of their beauty, movement and character through her art.

"When people tell me that my subjects move even when they are standing still, then I think I have achieved some of what I am trying to portray."

Working full time as an artist for the past 18 years and selling her paintings and prints at Art Fairs and large Horse Expos throughout Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. She travels once a year to the national Specialty for the Portuguese Water Dogs, held in different areas of the country and drawing crowds from the U.S., Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany and Portugal. She is very well-known for her artistic portrayal of that breed and through his venue has gained a considerable customer base for the dog and horse art both in the U.S. and abroad.

Tina does a limited number of portrait commissions in a year and offers these in watercolor or pastel.

Awards include:

• Best of Show -- Cadillac Art Fair
• Best of Show -- St. Clair Shores Art Fair
• First Place Watercolor Painting -- St. Clair Shores Art Fair