Art has been a part of my life since I was a child. I first won an award when I was in 6th grade when my picture of a flower was exhibited at the local library. I was elated that my creation was recognized by others as worthy.
My strongest influence when I was young was an older sister who was an artist. She introduced me to oils when I was in junior high school. I continued to paint and I then studied art in college. That study continues as I regularly take workshops with local and nationally known artists.
My art has taken many forms. Originally my choice of medium was pencil and pastels. Realistic portraits were my favorite. Later, I moved to watercolor. Life took a different turn, and I studied ethnic dance and performed on stage for 10 years. I created my own costumes, designing them with a mixture of color and textures that dazzled under stage lights. These multicultural influences emerge in my use of color in my paintings. Even the grayest of days in a landscape can turn golden, pink, and purple. Oils, my current choice of medium, are used in my portraits and landscapes.
After retiring from having taught in elementary school for 25 years, I have spent a lot of time on the Eastern Shore. Seasonal variations and the wide range of wildlife has lead me to pick up a camera to capture the changing skies, fields, and flights of birds. I exhibit the photographs and use them in the studio as references for new paintings.
And, there are the dolls. This idea came to me about some 30 years ago. Using my skills and materials as a costume designer, I began sculpting one-of-a-kind dolls. Each unique creation, usually unplanned, allows the doll’s personality to emerge as the process, from sculpting to creating costumes, takes place. They have been exhibited in several galleries and sold through commissions and in local shops in the D.C. area.
So, as you can see, art remains an essential element of my life. I have progressed from that first 6th grade award to being exhibited in several galleries in the District of Columbia and its environs as well as in galleries along the Delaware/Maryland shore. I continue to expand my focus, to explore new media, and to delight in what I see and can create.
Gallery
