My interest in Art probably began sometime in high school but at that point it never occurred to me that it would be any more than a passing fad, a moment in my life that would come and go and surely not last until I was old! Upon graduation, I set out to find a job only to discover that earning a paycheck could be pretty boring.
So, college it was – an art major of course. Eventually Medical Illustration caught my fancy and out to the University of Illinois I went. I eventually returned to Connecticut to earn a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Hartford, Hartford Art School. I originally worked in oils and acrylics, painting landscapes, seascapes and portraits. Other endeavors included photo retouching, rug design, picture framing and murals.
At some point I took a beginning watercolor class and fell in love. As my interest in watercolor developed, I began to look for the subtlety of color, focusing on the nuances that may go unnoticed with just a passing glance.
Instead of a path in the woods, the subject became the pinecone or the acorn. Intense scrutiny of those objects revealed color and detail that could be magnified and presented in a larger than life format for others to see. While most of my focus has been on objects found in nature, my current work is slowly moving in other directions.
From plants, to herbs, to food, there has been a natural progression. Then
popcorn! - Such fun, great forms and sometimes glowing color. It is a great
subject to paint in the winter while plant forms hibernate. Already new work is
moving away from natural forms to manmade objects and abstracts.
To earn a paycheck in a more fun way, I am currently teaching art to middle school students in the Wallingford Public School System. I am a member of the Guilford Art League and the Madison Art Society – my home towns - and have been the recipient of several awards. My work can be found at Gallery 53 in Meriden and at various shows in Connecticut.
