Layne was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Portland, Oregon. She moved back to Seattle in 1969 to attend the University of Washington. She received a BA degree in art in 1973 and before settling down to the business of earning a living. In 2001, she and her husband quit their jobs to take a six-month driving trip around the U.S and Canada in a VW Eurovan. It was during this time that she made the decision to seriously pursue her passion for art in the form of painting. She has been actively painting and exhibiting since then, and has work in many private collections as well as in Harborview Hospital, Swedish Hospital, Hotel Max, International Kitchens, Ryan Swanson and Cleveland law firm, and other corporations and institutions.

“As an art student in the early 70’s, I found that I was often at a loss for subject matter. Now, some 30 years later, the ideas flow faster than I can implement them; I like to think that my experience and broader outlook as an older person have contributed to this creative energy. I am fascinated by all aspects of painting; the power of a good composition, the role of light and shadows, the use of color and the value of restraint in using color. I delight in the process of working out every painting, and hope that some of that joy is conveyed to the viewer through my work.”