About

My father and his friends are artists….perhaps this is has something to do with why I put off my own pursuit of the arts til middle age.  I also had friends who were artists, & didn’t think I could compete with their stuff in high school.  Twenty years ago I contracted an illness that continues to effect me today, albeit lessened in the last few years.  During this period, I finally began art classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College, even though sitting on a stool for that first drawing class was too much many days, but it did benefit me to be fatigued in that I had no expectations, no self-judgment nor fear….no energy for such.

I finished 30 units there, (“Career Certificate” in Drawing & Painting, 2002), so I would have the structure to do things in order, (for a change in my life), and did not paint with color until after Color Theory with Donna Larsen.  Ye-haw, I felt akin to Helen Keller finally understanding that things have a name….seeing color for the first time, peering into shadows, learning to mix any color I wanted or saw.  I think I am a colorist.  I love painting walls, furniture, even faux painted the compost bin, electrical sockets to match fountain stonework.

Anyway, I think the pent up energy of being a visual comes out in my work, making most pieces lively, having movement, lots of texture.  I believe it’s important to have something emotive and/or spiritual to express in a piece.  I continue to take any workshop I can make time, energy & money for, continue the work, sometimes it’s hella fun, sometimes it feels like very hard work, but always, it’s work that I know I must continue.  Very grateful for the work, and thank you for taking a look.