Margaret’s journey as an artist is evident in her lifelong passion. From her early days in pottery classes, where she discovered a new lens through which to view the world, to her teenage years, when she prioritized buying a film camera, her love for art has only grown. Today, she continues to explore new artistic directions, including mixed media painting, oil painting, botanic illustration, monotype printmaking, and plein air painting, all fueled by her curiosity about art.

Margaret’s art reflects her deep-rooted connection with nature. Margaret spent her childhood in a valley at the foothills of Colorado Springs, where she immersed herself in the beauty and serenity of the outdoors. This connection with the natural world continues to be a driving force in her art, and she has become a dedicated steward of Colorado’s natural resources, a testament to her art’s commitment to environmental preservation.

For many years, Margaret has been on a journey of self-discovery, using writing and painting as her tools. Her writings played a pivotal role in her family’s story, which was eventually turned into the New York Times best-selling book Hidden Valley Road. This significant achievement was only part of her artistic growth. Margaret spent five transformative years painting with Bernie Marek, one of the founders of the art therapy program at Naropa. This collaboration was a turning point in her artistic process, introducing her to the power of meditation in her work.

Margaret also studied botanic illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens School of Art and Illustration for five years. The illustration training came after she spent ten years learning her subject in macro flower photography. She is also a master gardener. Now, Margaret has a public installation of her flower photos at the Dahlia Center for Health and Well-Being, the flagship campus for Denver’s Mental Health System, and a mental health role model for the nation.

Margaret’s artistic journey is a tapestry of notable achievements and fruitful collaborations. Her abstract work, constantly pushing boundaries, earned her an honorable mention for her piece My Value Study at a juried show at the Dairy Center for The Arts in Boulder. Under the guidance of master printmakers, she has honed her printmaking skills, infusing her unique artistic background into her one-of-a-kind monotypes. Her innovative approach is further exemplified in her exploration of solar plate etching with her photography. She is embarking on her latest challenge of combining her abstraction and botanical subjects to further continuous growth and evolution as an artist.