After painting for a lifetime, and always striving to capture what I see, I've finally decided that it's more satisfying to capture what I feel. For that reason, much of what I paint is imagined or improvised, though I challenge myself regularly to draw and paint from life to improve my skills. I tend to work on series of paintings around a particular theme or subject, exploring it from all angles, using different media and styles, and asking myself as I go along, "Why am I attracted to this place, person, or thing?" and "What does this mean to me?" and "What's the story I have to tell?" Subjects or themes come to me in my travels, through journaling, or from intense emotional experiences. Painting, like writing, is a way to process life experiences on a deeper level.
My preferred style would probably be called "expressionistic." Working intuitively, I enjoy layering paint and adding texture to create a surface that has depth and mystery. I often combine media, such as watercolor and gouache, or acrylic and collage. Though I love painting abstracts, my work tends to have at least a hint of subject, as in my imagined landscapes.
I've studied with some wonderful artists, including Don Andrews, Ted Nuttall, Marilyn Hughey Phillis, Laurel Hart, Jerry Fenter, Fran Larsen, and Willa Marie Huelskamp. I'm currently working toward a BFA degree at the University of Utah.
In a previous life, I received B.A. and M.A degrees in Theatre from American University.
I enjoy sharing what I believe is a primal need for creativity. I teach classes nearly every Saturday in water media - both foundation skills and experimental mixed media. In 2013, I plan to teach week-long workshops in experimental media. Stay tuned for detailed class descriptions.
.gif)
