DJ has always been attracted to the arts but received her BA degree from UMass/Boston with a major in English. She mostly taught herself to paint, relying on many art books and spending a lot of time practicing to improve her skills over the years. She started with watercolor and gouache and particularly enjoys painting them on Yupo paper. She then started using pastels and enjoys the softness of working on velour paper. In 2005/'06 she spent a year painting oils exclusively to improve her skills in this medium. Recently she began painting with acrylics and enjoys the fast drying medium.

Her favorite subjects to paint are nature and landscapes. She enjoys painting a group of mushrooms at the base of a tree or a clump of wild flowers partially covered by dried leaves, those little miracles in nature that we drive or walk by everyday but never seem to notice. DJ is also very connected to animals and includes them in many of her paintings. "My mom grew up in Kansas, a farm girl, so I guess I got that feeling of closeness to all animals, including farm animals, from her".

"My purpose in painting animals and nature is to show the beauty, the fragile condition of nature. I see this as a challenge in my art and hope I can reach others through my art so that they, too, will come to love and appreciate the beauty on earth that is ours to cherish and protect".

DJ exhibits and sells her artwork in various shows in both New Hampshire and Maine.

DJ is also interested in writing and is working on her first art book. She has also written several children's stories that she will illustrate and publish in the near future.

"The Story"
DJ considers herself an explorer. As a child, she often thought about discovering new lands. This interest in exploring has followed her into adulthood except she keeps it more local and takes her digital camera with her. She wanders through forests searching for the various wild mushrooms growing on the sides of downed trees. Or travels over the rocky shoreline and marshes in New Hampshire and Maine where she finds a variety of flora and fauna. When she finds the perfect subject and forms her composition that she uses to create her painting, she then writes the story of how she came upon this particular scene and folds it into a tiny red envelope and attaches it to the back of the painting. All framed original artwork comes with "The Story".