It has been said that art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. Indeed, for me, becoming the artist I am has been a lifetime process of self-discovery. Painting has been a passion of mine since childhood, when I filled the walls of my bedroom with murals and spent countless hours sketching horses and wildlife. Although I was taught that art was something that you did for only for fun, I always managed to keep it a central part of my life and career. Now, I feel blessed to call it my full-time work.
I describe myself as an expressionist--finding inspiration in shapes, color and texture, and putting them together in just the right way to convery an emotional message. Getting a late start at being a full-time painter has motivated me to paint every day if possible. My style has evolved quickly and is becoming increasingly abstract. Thanks to a wonderful mentor (Liana Bennett) I've been encouraged to continue in this direction, and I must say I've never been happier.
A (lifelong) challenge is allowing myself to play and make "mistakes." When I loosen up and give up the need to over-control, the outcome is often a painting that feels fresh and full of heart. The more I paint, the more comfortable I've become with leaving spaces raw or "unfinished" which allows the viewer to fill in the details and have their own relationship with the work.
Gallery Exhibitions
2013 Sedona Arts Center Fine Art Gallery, Sedona, AZ
2012 Gallery-One, Ellensburg, WA
2009-10 Shoreline City Hall, Shoreline, WA
2009-2012 Matthew Roberts Salon & Gallery, Edmonds, WA
2008-2009 Parklane Gallery, Kirkland, WA
2006-07 Edmonds Art Gallery, Edmonds WA
Group Exhibitions
2010-12 Fabric of Life, Edmonds, WA (ongoing)
2009-2012, Local Color, Seattle Public Market
2008-2012 HouseWares, Edmonds WA (ongoing)
2009 University House, Issaquah WA
2008 February Featured Artist, C'est la Vie, Edmonds, WA
2008-11 Edmonds Art Studio Tour, Edmonds WA
2008 Sept. 8-November 8: On Wing, Edmonds Conference Center, Edmonds WA (juried)
2008-12 Edmonds Arts Festival, Edmonds, WA (juried)
2008 May: Art of Our Mothers, Edmonds, WA (juried)
2007-08-09 ARTSplash, Edmonds, WA
Public Art
2010 Edmonds, WA Mural- “An Edmonds Kind of Eve” - voted People Choice Award
Awards
2010 People's Choice Award for "An Edmonds Kind of Eve" Edmonds Mural Society
Teaching
2005-2009, Journaling with Paint, SagaciousArt® Studio, Shoreline, WA
Education
1977-present, studied with Robert Burridge, Liana Bennett, Dianna Shyne, Pam Ingalls, Gage Academy in Seattle, Sedona Arts Center and numerous painting and drawing workshops
1995 Antioch University Seattle, M.A.
1980 San Jose State University, BS
