Her affinity for art has taken her through almost every facet art has to offer.  She studied fine art at the University of Oregon, Lane Community College, and the Eugene School of Commercial Art, achieving her degree in 1972.  From early awards through years as an art show promoter and gallery owner,  study and application brings her to where she is today. Tinker is currently an Art Instructor at Lane Community College and Willamalane Parks and Recreation, where she teaches oils and watercolor.  Her works are displayed in private and corporate collections throughout the United States and abroad.  She paints for commercial galleries, museums and exhibitions from her studio in the McKenzie River area of rural Oregon. A conservationist, Tinker favors natural subjects, imbuing them with exquisite detail and her unique sense of fantasy and symbolism.

"My approach is up close and personal.   One must see the flutter in a still wing; see beneath the surface and beyond the obvious."