Glory to God! I became infatuated with coin collecting when I was about ten years old. I see amazing beauty in coins, both in new coins and in coins that have aged and have been beautified by being exposed to different elements. For my artwork, I have also learned to bring out different patinas and colors by using household chemicals. I use water soluble glue in creating my artwork, so the coins are not ruined. This allowed me to blend the colors of the coins together to create whole images that fit together as the Spirit led me. I didn’t plan to become an artist. I have a hard time thinking of myself as an artist, but I am warming to the idea. My Father gave me a silver dollar a few years ago, which reignited my desire to collect coins. I decided that instead of putting my coins away in coin books, where I wouldn’t see the coins again for years, I wanted to try to display some coins in a picture that I could look at. I purchased a large bag of wheatback pennies and decided to use some older, collectible coins in my artwork. I took one penny and glued it to the exact center of the picture. I glued 6 pennies around the center penny and worked my way out in hexagons. Then, at a certain point, I saw that I could move my lines inward forming the arms of a star. The star of David was the first picture I made. I liked it, so I made about 8 more of these stars, each time trying to improve and come up with new ideas. I decided there were no rules to my creations, so I add as much bling and extra creativity as I feel like. My Mother told me that I should make something else besides the stars, so I started making different designs out of coins, such as a sea turtle, a teddy bear, bee’s nests, dragons, ship’s steering wheel, tee pees, an owl, fish scenes underwater, and then I started painting pictures. My paintings have been mostly birds, blue jays, blue birds, and cardinals. I submitted some of my artwork to the Gates Mills art show that is held every spring and one of my pieces was chosen two years in a row. I was thrilled by this because I am a nobody in the art world, and this was a validation that my stuff is actually good. I have also sold a couple of pieces (as well as given some away), so I guess that makes me an artist, right? Anyway, I am very grateful for this opportunity to display my work at Geauga University Hospital. Thanks To Brittany Paynter for accepting me. Thanks to David and Alnita Paterson, my best friends who helped me with recovery and encouraged me to enter my work. And thanks to all my friends at Ravenwood, Natalie, Gena, Jackie, and all the rest, God bless you!