Meet The Correspondents: Teri Casper

I am a self-taught artist. The desire and love of art started when I was a young girl and I sketched my Dad and then wrote a poem about him. However, art was never encouraged because 'a girl needed a career and a good job', so I became a registered nurse. Talk about a right brain person in a left brain world!

This is me sketching on the beach in Maui,

'Mom's favorite position' my daughter said.

As I look back on those years I realize I did many creative things in the workplace like sketching people in meetings and creating interesting reports. I also became proficient in many crafts such as quilting and doing stained glass. My right brain was trying to tell me something.

I realized what that something was when I read Claire Walker Leslie's nature books. Since I always loved nature I tried sketching and was encouraged when my sketch actually looked like what I saw.

Next, I saw Cathy Johnson's articles in "Country Living", found her books and off I went. I credit these two women for my love of sketching nature.

Along came the Internet and Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters group. I started my blog, Painted Daisies and the pen has not left my hand except to pick up a paintbrush. I have sketched and painted nearly every day since 2005. And loved every minute of it.

I am interested in sketching and trying everything: flowers, birds, animals, cacti, people, mandalas, zentangles and ATCs.

We live in Wisconsin during the summer and Arizona in the winter. Wonderful and interesting nature in both places. My fascination of cactus began in Arizona and has evolved in 'Cactus Monday'. Other cacti lovers have joined me in amazing sketches and photography.

I am thrilled to be here in this nature heaven that Kate created.