Bio:
I’m a process and materials-driven artist who thrives on experimentation, imagination, and discovery. I live and work in Olympia, Washington and have spent the majority of my 74 years in the Pacific Northwest. My personal history includes a career in teaching; graduation from the University of Wisconsin, Asian Studies; and a Master’s in Education from Seattle Pacific University. After a varied career of teaching in public schools, concluding with 17 years at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, I retired from employment and began pursuing new artistic endeavors. I took several art classes at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, graduated from the Seattle Artist Trust’s EDGE Program; and became actively involved in several arts organizations.
Artist Statement:
The three images that I’m submitting here are representative of my most recent paintings. They are direct and personal responses to current socio-political events that continue to be disruptive and threatening to our lives individually, and to our planet’s future. These events, including specifically the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine, present what seem to be existential threats to human survival. So, as a human and as an artist, I am emotionally affected, and my paintings are inescapably influenced by these concerns.
“World on Fire” speaks to the devastation of war and political aggression. Human lives are in the balance daily, as well as the political systems and civilizations that support them. Beyond being a reference to today’s particular war in Ukraine, “ World on Fire” is more broadly intended as a vision of destruction in general, including those ravages to entire ecosystems fueled by the fires human greed and climate change.
Additionally, my other two submissions, “Rise from Darkness” and “Above the Chaos” are paintings that have resulted from my most recent, personal response to events of this past year. They depict the duality of darkness/chaos, combined with and perhaps offset by the awe-inspired feelings that result from surviving in the midst of such conditions. Yes, darkness and chaos seem to be a vortex of negativity, and the raw power of nature seems indomitable. However, this is not to say there is no beauty or hope to be found. On the contrary, I hope my paintings can portray the feeling that there is beauty, and even a cleansing, hopeful quality that can co-exist alongside and rise up powerfully from the darkness and chaos.
Exhibitions
I’ve enjoyed opportunities to have my work exhibited in galleries and educational settings throughout the Pacific Northwest, including shows at Lower Columbia College (Longview), Pierce College (Puyallup), Tacoma Community College (Gig Harbor), SalonRefu (Olympia), B2Gallery (Tacoma), Ryan James Fine Art Gallery (Kirkland), Vashon Center for the Arts, and The WA Department of Ecology. I’m gratified to have my work in numerous private and public collections. UW Medicine purchased my work for their new clinic in Olympia, and most recently, a collection of nine of my paintings was purchased by the Washington State Arts Commission, now permanently installed at The Evergreen State College in Olympia WA.
