About the Artist

BIO

I have to thank my parents for an endless supply of newsprint drawing paper, and my grandparents for sharing their desk filled with all kinds of wonderful  things, for my interest in art today.

I am a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and attended the University of Cincinnati, majoring in art education.  I taught elementary art for several years before “retiring” to raise my family.  During my formal education, I learned all the elements of design and was exposed to many different mediums, but watercolor wasn’t one of them.  It was years later that I would explore this exciting new way to create art.

ARTIST STATEMENT

 I love painting in watercolor.  Give me some tubes of paint and a blank sheet of white paper, and I can be entertained for hours.  I like the vibrant colors, the boldness of strong contrasts, and the movement of brushstrokes, lines and marks.    I love how the pigment moves in the water and the surprises that the watercolors sometimes make when they mix with the water and each other.  I paint a lot of florals because I love them (and they are always handy!), but I can be inspired by a cozy front porch or a beautiful old building, by umbrellas on a beach, colorful chickens or a cat with an attitude.  Whatever I choose to paint, I’m not concerned with a realistic interpretation.  I simply use the information I need from my references, and at some point, the painting takes on a life of its own.  I am drawn to happy paintings and simple expressions.  Watercolor allows me to be spontaneous for a change in a world filled with rules and schedules and responsibilities.  Watercolor allows me the freedom to have my own view.