About the Artist
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Each painting begins with an inspiration. I am incredibly fortunate – my inspiration is Nature. And she’s everywhere! I still hold in my mind’s eye, the beauty of the western Pennsylvania hills where I grew up. But now I am surrounded by the beauty of Colorado – her foothills, mountains, plains and CLOUDS! I also love the stunning beauty of the southwestern deserts, mesas and canyons. Add to all that the changes in the seasons and I have an unlimited source of inspiration.
I work from photographs taken by my husband. I underpaint all my canvases with paints left over on my paint table. I usually underpaint in reds and earth tones but occasionally use blues, greens and yellows and when those pop through in a painting, it’s a delight. It’s challenging but critical to allow the underpainting colors to come through. They add depth and light and a subtle outline. When I paint, I emphasize and enhance Nature’s colors. I’m not going for realism but expressionism. I prefer to use large canvases and large brushes. I want you to see the direction of the brush strokes and the depth of the paint, impasto.
The more I work, the more I learn, the more I try to incorporate the styles of my favorite artists (Victor Higgins, Lynn Rowan Meyers, the Canadian 7 and so many others), the more I realize I have my own voice. It’s bold, full of expression and joy.
BIO
I have been called a colorist, an expressionist and a fauvist - all correct to some degree. What I really want to be known as, in addition, is an emerging artist. I think I always want to be emerging as an artist. I always want to feel I am learning, growing and improving.
My mom was my first teacher and source of inspiration and courage. She painted portraits in pastel and oils. She also painted the most extraordinary mural of the flora and fauna (mostly birds) of western Pennsylvania, where we lived, in our dining room. The most amazing part...she let us paint on the walls along with her!! I am pretty sure that she "corrected" our paintings after we had gone to bed but you can only imagine how that boosted my confidence as an "artist".
Because Mom was an artist, we always had art supplies available for those rainy days and "I'm bored" moments. When not doodling and playing with different art media, I rode our horses. My sister and I both fox hunted - no live kill but a drag hunt where the hounds followed a scent laid down in advance. It is to this day one of the great memories of my life and even impacts my artwork today as I appreciate these Colorado rolling foothills which actually remind me of the Pennsylvania hills.
I attended Smith College and studied very briefly under Leonard Baskin, a renowned print maker. I received my BFA in art education from University of Denver and taught art for two years before focusing on raising my three children. As a substitute teacher, I taught everything from PE to 7th grade science! to Algebra! and Study Skills in middle and high school for 27 years before realizing I NEEDED to paint.
I have been painting oils on canvas for 10 years now and try to incorporate my admiration for my favorite artists - Van Gogh, Birger Sandzen, Alyce Frank, Lynn Rowan Myers, Richard Diebenkhorn and ALL the Taos 7 artists. I often try to emulate their strokes or color combinations or compositions. But invariably, I find that when brush hits canvas, it is my own voice that comes out.
My voice is expressed through fresh, loose brush strokes and lots of rich full-volume color. I aim to balance that spontaneity with a sense of sophistication and control. When all goes according to plan, I achieve that with a thick impasto and delicious directional brushwork with layers of color always attempting to allow each layer to shine through, even and maybe especially, the underpainting.
Most of my paintings, particularly my landscapes, are inspired by local beauty. While running eastward in the park near my home, I see the plains, the grasslands, the fence lines. While running westward, I see my beautiful foothills dotted with cedars and back-dropped by those ever changing Colorado clouds.
But what does my work mean to me? Clearly it means an opportunity to express my love for nature through my perennial gardens, vegetable gardens, lawn mowing (TRUE!), stone wall building and yes, painting oils on canvas.
It also gives me a chance to help those organizations that hold a special place in my heart. I hold the Alzheimer's Association at the top of that list. I can't afford to make the kind of monetary donations that I would like to so I have donated a large piece each year for the past 10 years to the annual fund raiser Memories in the Making live auction. My paintings have raised some of the highest bids over the past several years and, while that is good for the ego, it's even better for the heart.
I think we are each given gifts. I have been fortunate to have been given at least two that have allowed me to make an impact for others. One - a true passion for teaching and two - more recently, a true passion for painting. It's a double reward to know that both those gifts have in many ways been a benefit to others which makes them a blessing to me.
I find my work exhilarating, frustrating, challenging, emotional and rewarding. I hope you find it joyful.
