My interest in art began at an early age as an outlet for my passionate love of horses. This infatuation is a normal phase for many young girls, but turned out to be the catalyst for my artistic development. Since conditions did not permit me to have my own horse until I was sixteen, I learned just how powerful emotion can be when it is channeled into creativity. From the age of nine I immersed myself in countless pads of drawing paper and charcoal pencils, eventually graduating to pen and ink, colored pencil, oils, acrylics and watercolors. From the beginning I have always had the encouragement of family.


As a self-taught artist I have sought to challenge myself, continually looking for new ways to grow. After drawing and painting horses exclusively for many years, I went through a period of producing Western Art. The Old West and its importance to this nation's history is still of great interest to me, as well as the immeasurable influence of two noted artists, Charles Russell and Frederick Remington.


              Yosemite		 Perhaps of even greater influence was the work of world renowned wildlife artist, Robert Bateman. His Smithsonian exhibition in 1987 profoundly inspired me to expand my own artistic interests to include all of the wild and natural world. Another major influence was my marriage in 1987 to an avid outdoorsman. I have always loved animals of all kinds and the beauty of nature in all its forms, but I learned to see the natural world in a new way through my husband's eyes. He took me on numerous trips to remote wilderness locations out West from the awesome spectacle of Yosemite, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, to the vast rugged landscape of Alaska and the jeweled glacial lakes of the Canadian Rockies. We explored the wilds that can only be seen while backpacking. Much of my
inspiration has come from those incredible experiences, as well as local sojourns to State & National Parks, zoos, wildlife refuges, and even the Appalachian Trail, which passes within a mile of our home in Frederick County, Maryland.

Artist Statement
My artistic goals are to generate greater awareness and appreciation for all wildlife, help promote the protection of endangered species, and encourage the preservation of wildlife habitat so that future generations can be inspired by the beauty and diversity of nature.

RESUMÉ

E-mail me at mdtrent@verizon.net.