De Munden has lived in Southwest Missouri for many years. She is familiar with the rugged nature of both the landscape and the culture. Her paintings reflect this understanding in her use of color and in the depth and breadth of her work.

De says she feels a definite partnership between the chosen landscape image and her mental inspirations. She is very much to the point: "Here's how it is and here's how I feel about it." De lets the natural light define her colors and shapes, much like an impressionist. She also feels that it is important to capture that moment in time and place because someday it will no longer be there. In the rural landscape this is particularly true as older and interesting trees are destroyed by Mother Nature or Man and swaths of nature are cleared for the sake of progress.

De receives much satisfaction from translating the landscape into a visual and tactile experience. She enjoys the feel of the brush in her hands, the bristles against the canvas, paint moving to translate a vision, manipulating colors and forming shapes to suit her idea of the landscape.

She definitely has the sensation on occasion that someone else is creating her paintings. She call this sensation 'being in the zone.' She feels vibrations at the tips of her fingers as if she is the most alive while she is painting. She says the painting experience for her is like a dance or a musical performance, involving all of her senses and absorbing her consciousness.

De can be reached by email via dmunden [at] dishmail.net.