Artist Statement

Art has always been a love of mine, so in 1995 when my children had grown and family responsibilities lessened I began to study it seriously. First starting in acrylics, but quickly moving to watercolor and other mediums. I discovered many wonderful surprises and possibilities. Most recently I am painting with acrylics on canvas, experimenting with textures, and stamps.

I paint because I love color . . . mixing, mingling colors and experiencing what happens. I start by deciding on colors. Sometimes the design comes right away to me and other times it evolves as I work. I let the colors, shapes, lines and textures flow into a design on there own, and then I begin to formalize the structure of it into a pleasing pattern. My ideas come from every where—my moods, dreams, surroundings, nature, decorating shows, store displays, commercials, magazines, and other forms of art. Sometimes I will see something that suggests a design and I will start with a preconceived notion of how the finished painting should look. However, as the painting develops I let it speak to me and intuitively put my colors, lines, shapes, and textures where I like them best. Although when I paint I am not consciously thinking of the elements and principles of design, I call upon them subconsciously to bring the piece to completion.

I want the viewer’s eye to move around the painting and to stay in some places longer than others and decide for themselves what pleases them in the painting. My aim is to make the viewer stop, look at my paintings, enjoy and wonder about them.

I learn from every painting I do and often realize that some things I do work well and others don’t. I try to perfect those that do and change the ones that don’t. Sometimes when I get stuck I get out old paintings or photos of successful paintings of mine and study them to see what made them work and then try to apply that in the new painting. I use aqua sticks, pastels, oil sticks, and stamps, watercolors, and acrylics to create some lines, patterns, and textures.