Hello & Welcome!

In kindergarten I was asked to identify my favorite two colors. I eagerly stated, "Red and orange!" When I got home my mother said I was very upset because the teacher had told me that red & orange did not go together and my choices were wrong. Even then I knew they were analogous/harmonious colors (next to each other on the color wheel)! I loved/love color.

Painting, however, did not become the passion of my life until the age of 36. In 1987, I unlocked the artistic vault that I had kept sealed for over 15 years. I traded my blue suits of corporate life in for an artist's smock shortly after my late mother-in-law introduced me to watercolors. Prior to painting full-time, I had been a school psychologist and  a corporate training manager.

People often ask, “What inspires you?” The answer varies from painting to painting. Sometimes I see a window-like shape – such as the configuration of pinion tree branches – that I want to interpret and then I begin imagining what might interact well with it. Sometimes it can be a simple object – such as a wine glass or a chess piece – and I experiment with the environment and fantasy I want to create fusing abstraction with realism.

For every work, I determine the color chord before I begin painting. Much like a musician, I want my colors to play in tune within the same key. In addition, I gesso every panel or canvas with at least 3 layers using a large 8” palette knife; this is to create a subtle and organic texture underneath the entire painting. This also adds to the sense of depth.

Please call me at (719)-510-0006 to learn more about a painting you like and/or my artistic process. I live in MountainTime.

My Artistic Process:

Have you ever engaged in conversation with one of those pesky 5-year olds who never stops asking "Why?" of "How? They buzz like a persistent bee. I was one of those kids and I also had the uncanny ability to never miss anything visual. For example, if a family member moved or added something, I noticed or I would make seemingly odd observations about the world around me, soliciting raised eyebrows. This curiosity is a treasure I carry with me today and into my paintings.

My current body of work asks you questions. Entitled “Windows within a Window,” these paintings welcome you to different times and places – often to a space that is generally not recognizable yet accessible, but is my unique perspective. The interplay of reality and fantasy, color and depth, shapes and texture creates what I call a "harmonic mystery."

Windows ask questions. Their views offer possibilities for multiple interpretations. Perhaps you will go beyond the surface to reveal something far deeper. Some people start telling me wonderful stories that come to mind, some cry, and others stand quietly and ponder. Any reaction is welcomed.

I work in oils and my favorite tool is the palette knife. My application is atypical, in that I apply very thin layers with the knife, often lightly scraping across the surface to create interesting and somewhat mysterious textures. Throughout the painting process, I go back and forth between my palette knives and brushes, using what seems appropriate at the time. Surprises often occur, which I always enjoy.

A Brief Bio:
Soon after picking up a watercolor brush, I began my life-long artistic training. The Twin Cities (MN) offered fine art education through their network of art centers, and I also attended the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and workshops instructed by nationally known artists. The regional watercolor society captured my heart, hence I served as President of the Minnesota Watercolor Society (1992-94). In 2004, I founded & curated the Celebrate 22 Miles! exhibition held at The Edina Art Center; this exhibit commemorated the significance of the Minnehaha Creek that runs through the Twin Cities.

In 2000, I was the cover artist of Watercolor Magazine! My work has been honored with awards in regional & national shows, and hangs in countries around the world. The large body of work I created  from 1998-2002, entitled, "No Time for Idle Hands," traveled the west & mid-west. My hand portraits were the cover story of Watercolor, a national arts magazine. I am honored to be a signature member of the Transparent Watercolor Society of America, and granted (through juried processes) the associate memberships of the Pastel Society of America and the Oil Painters of America. In January, 2010, I won the Finalist - Best Abstract in the Fine Art Views "Bold Brush" Painting Competition.

Recently, I developed and now deliver an intensive online color course "Painting With Color Confidence" - after teaching it live many times. For more information, please visit CelebratingColor.com.

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Below are a few photographs of my Black Forest, CO, studio as featured in Art Calendar, March, 2007. You are welcome to visit! Call 719-510-0006 (MST) for an appointment.

Thank you for stopping by!

Studio entrance above. Welcome!

Studio sink, flat files and door to the loo (above).

Northwest cornor of my studio (above) just before my fall open house.