AWARDS

2008 n BEST IN SHOW and BEST PASTEL PAINTING
Benefit show for Aids Care Service, Hampton House Gallery, Inc., Winston-Salem, NC
2007 n AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Pastel Society of North Carolina's 1st Juried Exhibition, Winston-salem, NC
2005 n HONORABLE MENTION 
Associated Artists of Winston-Salem Juried Show, Sawtooth Center, Winston-Salem, NC 

BIO

As long as I can remember, I have loved to draw and paint. Majoring in art in college and teaching art to children and adults have encouraged me to experiment with almost every medium imaginable — charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, oil, watercolor, acrylic, batik, fabric painting, encaustic, sculpture and collage. 

After taking a watercolor course my senior year, I was hooked and have been completely intrigued with it’s unpredictable surprises. It has challenged me for years and continues to entice me with its numerous possibilities and
varied techniques for expression — from painterly bold strokes to dry brush application to loose watery washes.

I began experimenting with pastels while painting portraits several years ago and discovered the joy of working with true vivid color. Ever since I picked up my first “Crayola,” I have loved colors and textures. The direct application of the pure pastel pigment resulting in beautiful velvety color keeps me exploring this medium. I apply the pastel with my favorite of all artist’s tools — my fingers. The contact with the paper and the explosion of color and texture is exhilarating — like no other medium I have used.

When I returned to design school in midlife, I discovered the technique of illustrating with markers and colored pencils — applying colors and values with transparent washes and then intensifying the colors and emphasizing the details with pencils. I have taught art to both children and adults for many years and worked as a graphic designer for 15 years, but the passion of painting continues
to lure me. The marker and colored pencil technique led me to experiment with combining watercolor and pastels. It seemed only natural to layer the vivid pastel color over fluid watercolor washes. Occasionally I will add other elements resulting in a mixed media work of art.

As a lover of the outdoors, I’ve recently discovered the joy of plein air painting, which has taken me a step further in my growth as an artist. Painting “on location,” where I truly experience the moment, has sharpened my observation skills and my connection with the subject. Hopefully it helps me portray to the viewer a sense of actually being there.

Although I paint primarily in pastels and consider my style “painterly realism,” my curious nature leads me to explore different media, styles and subject matter. I like working in charcoal, conte, pen and ink and especially enjoy the recent pleasure of reconnecting with oil painting and experimenting with collage and abstract expression. In addition to landscapes, I like painting  portraits, figures, animals, still lifes, florals and underwater “scapes.” Common patterns in all my work, regardless of the subject or medium used, include developing and emphasizing my focal point through contrast of color, value, temperature, texture and amount of detail; using colors and textures that harmonize well; and a creating a sense of loose realism with impressionistic strokes of color.

My goal is to “paint from the heart,” to play with the colors and textures, to lose myself in my work and to enjoy the process rather than to render a completely realistic reproduction of the subject. I try to let the painting “paint itself” and evolve on it’s own. I hope that, through my work, others can stop, look, appreciate the beauty of God’s creation and feel my excitement and joy in expressing it.