I have always loved to draw and paint. My mother was an artist and she inspired in me a love of art. She always encouraged me to follow my creative pursuits. Some of my earliest memories are of her returning from classes at the Rhode Island School of Design with various sketches and paintings. It was always so exciting to see what she had created.
I grew up in Rhode Island and lived in the New York City area for 12 years before returning to New England in 1997. I worked in the mental health field for many years before I began my love affair with painting. In 2008, while taking classes at the Decordova Museum School I fell in love with pastels and have continued to use this medium ever since. Soft pastels glide onto sanded paper with a buttery richness that is not achievable with other mediums. The layering of various colors adds depth and richness to a painting. I love the vibrancy and immediacy of pastels and the luminosity that is created.
In the past, I have taken classes with Jeanne Smith and participated in workshops given by Liz Haywood Sullivan, Marla Baggetta and Robert Carsten. This has allowed me to learn about composition, color and light. But I spend a great deal of time visiting museums, reading books about art and studying beautiful artwork to try to determine what makes it so. I begin all of my work with small sketches and decide whether I want to create a painting based on what I have drawn. In my work, I make every attempt to capture what is most magical about my subject.
Living in an area that is full of history, charm and beauty inspires me to attempt to recreate on paper the most beautiful aspects of what I see. Setting out in the early morning or late afternoon to capture a slant of light or shadows in a landscape is something I do often. I feel that every day is another opportunity to capture the beauty that surrounds me.
I have been accepted into juried shows at the Concord Art Association, Arts Wayland and Three Stones Gallery in Concord, Massachusetts. In 2016, I was a contributing artist to the Concord Art Association's, Paint the Town.