Meet The Artist

The Essence of My Art

Regardless of the subject matter in my art, I strive to evoke an uplifting spirit, a hint of mystery, and a profound sense of belonging. I believe these elements are vital in creating a harmonious atmosphere in one’s home. I aim to create a sanctuary away from the chaos of the world for all who are attracted to my art style. I do not create emotionally dark art.

I agree with this Pierre-Auguste Renoir quote…

“To my mind, a picture should be something pleasant, cheerful and pretty. There are too many unpleasant things as it is, without creating still more of them.”

Won over by the majesty of our natural world, wildlife, horses, pets, travel and architecture, I find, with the attitude of Renoir, that I can still tackle ‘weighty themes’ such as the impact of human activity on wildlife and still bring joy and beauty to our lives.

A Bizzare Childhood

Parts of my life were so horrific that no one should ever have to experience, while other parts were totally idealistic. Put all my experiences together, my life reads much like fiction. As an infant I was misdiagnosed as needing to be on medication for seizures. I was on Phenobarbital and Dilantin, two very strong drugs, until my mid-teens. With my father being in the Navy we travelled quite a bit. The view of my world kept changing, as we moved our home to Virginia, Wisconsin, Maryland, then California. I spent those years in a fog, trying to decipher what was reality and what was dream.

I expressed myself through art from a very early age, learning to use most every medium available and taking lessons from the best. At age 11, we moved from California to New Jersey and my interest turned to oil painting. I began art lessons with the well-known artist Fredrick W. Reiniger. Throughout my years as an artist I have worked in ceramics, glass, watercolors, fiber arts and dyes, pastels, pencils, photography, and most every other media that comes to mind.

My other love has always been my horses. While I was so drugged that I didn’t pick up on the social clues children learn, my horses taught me patience, perseverance, kindness, and poise. Learning how to deal with humans came later. Art and horses are what got me through life until I got off the medication and “woke up”. I have a deep affinity with ALL animals. The welfare of animals all around the world is of  concern to me and is often found as the subject of many of my artworks. 

Once I got off the medication, I realized I knew very little so I spent hours teaching myself how to read and being proficient with math. My last two years of high school I received straight “A’s’ and went on to graduate from college with a BFA degree (Bachelor of Fine Arts). I graduated with honors, Magna cum Laude, from Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, where I was able to take my horse to school with me. I then went on to receive my Masters in Education from SUNY at Buffalo, NY with a higher grade point average then I had with my undergraduate degree.

After graduation with my BFA I took a job as a graphic designer which lasted 11 years and eventually overlapped my next career as an art teacher. Teaching lasted another 30+ years or so with most of those years teaching high school. I found that my early experiences of being heavily medicated made me an empathetic and understanding teacher. My favorite classes that I taught were Architecture, Ceramics, Digital Imaging, Photography and Fabric Arts, but I also taught General Drawing & Painting, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Art History, and Life Studies. I loved teaching a wide variety of subjects. During my teaching career I also started a studio where I designed and created custom porcelain and crystal dinnerware, corporate gifts, awards for yacht clubs and horse shows and personalized wedding gifts. I retired from teaching in 2020 and still enjoy working in a wide variety of media in my retirement.

You can see a glimpse of my childhood in my art. Some appears quite normal until you look deeper, while other works will take you through unexpected twists, turns, holes and fog, playing games with your mind…making you wonder if what you see is really what was meant to be. I invite you to enjoy the results of a bizarre childhood… An Altered Reality.