Bio:
For as long as I can remember I have been drawing and creating. Having an insatiable curiosity with how things work, I majored in physics and later in zoology at UC Santa Barbara. I worked in the engineering field and eventually in the legal field for a good part of my life. At 49 I decided to focus on my painting and treat it as a business. To gain inspiration and spark my creativity I traveled to diverse natural environments from deserts, forests, beaches or islands to observe and capture the amazing life around us. Before Covid, I traveled to art fairs all over California to sell and promote my business. In my travels I look forward to spending time in nature, either hiking, running, or bike riding. I photograph nature and work from the photo to recreate on canvas. I lived in Southern California for 54 years of my life until December 2020 when I moved to Olympia, Washington with my husband. This setting allows me to walk out the door and be surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.
Artist Statement:
Nature is my inspiration. I photograph animals, flowers, and landscapes that evoke an emotional response. Back in my workspace I bring them back to life in vivid color with oil paint on canvas. I am drawn to the power of color and the intense reaction between contrasting colors. Similarly, to the early impressionist, I do not want to merely represent the surroundings, but rather on the interrelations of color and shape to depict the world.
Accordingly, I have found inspiration from the Impressionism Masters, such as Monet and Degas, and Post-Impressionist, Van Gogh and Cezanne. Equally, contemporary artist Erin Hansen has been my role model. Her bold colors and impasto brush strokes intensify the play of light and gives the subject a stained-glass or mosaic quality. Up close, the painting appears to be a blotch of color swabs, but like classical impressionism, from afar, the landscape pulls into focus.
I initially began with acrylic paints but have now moved to water-soluble oils. I love shadows and highlights and using them closely together to create drama.
I start by applying a base color or colors that will eventually tie the painting together. I loosely sketch the landscape and plan out where everything will go.
I create my palette for the entire painting so I may work fast, unencumbered, and develop a free-flowing rhythm. I start with shadows and darks and work up to lights.
Over the course of the painting, I include detail, I switch to a smaller brush and add highlights. I stop for a few days and evaluate, is it what I intended? Do I feel it is complete? I do not want to over-work the art piece, so I keep my changes to a minimum.
Beautiful subjects and scenes are not always planned or expected. If I do not have my camera with me, I use my phone. The photos are adequate, and I am not looking for perfection just a rendering so I may interpret and make my own. I have taken photos while in a fast-food drive-thru line, or the parking lot of a grocery store, you just never know when something will surprise you. Opportunity is everywhere.