Growing up surrounded by art and design, both of my parents were accomplished illustrators and painters.

Following in their footsteps, I decided to make art my life’s vocation, starting with a BFA in graphic design I received from the Atlanta College of Art (now SCAD). For the last 20 years, I have been a successful art director for many clients in Atlanta. With that success though, I have realized I had more to say through my art, outside of the commercial/marketing realms.

This idea came forth even more after the loss of both of my parents in 2021. I decided to take my grief and emotions and channel those into my own personal work. My main inspiration remains my late father, Ed Horlbeck, who was a highly accomplished portrait/still life artist. Painting has been a source of healing for me and my dad continues to inspire me.

Through this process, I discovered that I love the freedom of creating art for myself and exploring that as a mixed media artist. My work strives to be bold, expressionistic and spontaneous. I approach my work often without a plan in mind, letting my intuition lead the way. I have found the exploration of both creating and deconstructing layers through collage produces more surprises in the discovery process. I believe that trusting the process and not expecting an outcome yields more authenticity.