I started using pastels because I could pack them up in my car and use my car as my studio, working on location. We lived in the country and the landscape became my subject. I grew intimate with nature. I learned how to tell when the colors would change in a sunset, what colors the snow would be on a sunny winter day and when to expect the moon and where in the sky to look for it. I live in town now, but in a city that’s like the country. The woods surround me and I see Lake Superior and the St. Louis River from my window. Here, all the nature in the city has touched me, especially as evening hits and the early evening sky is muted by the city lights. Observing nature is good for the soul. It’s the solace in nature that I seek in my work and want to convey.