Moving to Canada from the USA at age 7, Gina was raised on the Bar C Ranch north of the Morley Indian Reserve in the foothills county of Alberta. This moulded her future as Gina loved the country, the livestock, the wildlife and the people. She attended a one room school right on their home place. In her spare time she rode into the hills and spent hours watching and drawing the wild horses. Growing up Gina and her brother Jack ran a trap line to earn some cash. She drove teams, gathered wild mustangs, rescued and raised numerous 4 legged orphans and became noted as a top horse trainer.

While raising a family of three she did the day to day chores of running a ranch – chasing cows, fixing fence, loading bales and training colts. When time permitted she competed in local fairs and rodeos but her love was barrel racing. She barrel raced professionally for 4 years and won 1 Alberta and 2 Canadian Championships. Although her professional rodeo career was short Gina continued to be active. She trained numerous horses, topped many sales and ran many barrel clinics. She has “encouraged and mentored several young barrel racers” many of who have become very successful competitors.

Gina didn’t start doing bronzes until mid life. On her own and needing to make a living she decided she didn’t want to work for somebody else all her life. Gina felt she had two gifts, horses and art so started doing bronze sculptures using the subjects she knew best – ranch and rodeo. Horses were her companion and her teacher and Gina credits them and hard work as the reason she has become a world renowned artist. Doug Stevens was her mentor. She worked beside him to do her first bronze and credits Doug for having believed in her and helping start her career
Gina has rodeo and horses to thank for her success. It was by buying and training horses that she bought her first home and got her start in bronzes-they financed her art career until it carried itself.

Gina has also helped a number of artists get started, many of whom are now successful artists themselves. She has donated her work to benefit many charities and individuals. When there is a need whether it be the Cowboys Benevolent Fund, Stars, Bethany Homes, Fish and Wildlife or “an individual in a time of need” Gina has donated many bronzes to benefit and help others.

Gina is an entrepreneur. She believes in the cowgirl way of life and has been lucky enough to be able to share it with so many. She doesn’t travel, she’s happy at home living in God’s country with a few head of horses in the field, and a few head of the neighbours cattle bordering her fence. She’s the mother of 3, the grandmother of 10, and great grandmother of 8. If there is one of her bronzes that describes herself it is “Ranchers Wife – Mother, Cook and Cowboy”.