About the Artist

Artist Statement:

The play of light on an object or figure or the luminescence created by atmosphere on the landscape evokes in me a strong desire to create.  My intent is to share with the viewer the beauty in everyday scenes as I see it.   

Although much of my work is created in the studio, I also enjoy painting en plein air, which is a method of painting on location directly from nature.  While some of these paintings can be little jewels, I frequently use them as color studies or “rough drafts” for paintings completed in the studio (as opposed to painting from photographs).  My hope is that the resulting work expresses the total experience of not only seeing my subject, but allowing my other senses to have a part in the painting process as well.  Sounds, smells, and the climate can all influence how I interpret a subject.

Biography:

Some of my earliest childhood memories are of my desire to draw and paint.  My parents encouraged my enthusiasm by enrolling me in the Ostendorf Art Academy in Dayton, Ohio where I studied from childhood into my teen years and worked primarily with graphite, pen and ink, and pastel.  I also attended summer classes at the Dayton Art Institute during that time.

As an adult, I studied with John Gordon at the Gordon School of Art from 2004 to 2008.  I have also attended workshops of recognized artists Margaret Dyer, M. Kathryn Massey, Greg Biolchini, Maggie Price, Bonnita Budysz, Camille Przewodek, Carol Marine, and David Cheifetz among others. All of these artists have contributed immensely to my journey as an artist, and I am grateful to them for their commitment to sharing their knowledge.

Affiliations: 

Signature Member, Wisconsin Pastel Artists

Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association (WIPAPA)

Portrait Society of America

Awards and Exhibits:

2015 - Richeson75 Figure/Portrait 2015, Juried, Kimberly, WI

2015 - Second Place and Artists' Choice Award, Wisconsin Pastel Artists 2015 Fall Exhibit, Cedarburg, WI

2015 - Honorable Mention, Create! A Wisconsin Art Show, Juried, Kimberly, WI

2014 - First Place, Richeson75 Figure/Portrait 2014, Kimberly, WI

2013 - Water's Edge Artists Exhibit, Foxley's Gallery Ltd, Appleton, WI

2013 - Salon Aura Artist Exhibition, Green Bay, WI

2012 - Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association,  "A State of Inspiration", Hartford, WI

2012 - Second Place, Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association "We Came, We Saw, We Painted", Milwaukee, WI

2012 - Second Place, Women's Art Liberation, Richeson Art School and Gallery, Kimberly, WI

2012 - Third Place, Wisconsin Pastel Artists 2012 Spring Exhibit, Milwaukee, WI

2012- Secura Fine Art Exhibit, Juried,  Appleton WI

2011 - First Place, Wisconsin Pastel Artists 2011 Fall Exhibit, Wauwatosa, WI

2011 - Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association Exhibition, Juried, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, WI

2010 - Third Place, Wisconsin Pastel Artists 2010 Exhibit, Oconomowoc, WI

2010 – Third Place, Spring Arts Festival, Green Bay, WI

2008 – Green Bay Botanical Garden Art Exhibit, Juried, Green Bay, WI

2006 – Honorable Mention, Spring Arts Festival, Green Bay, WI