Hello
I grew up in Texas, the daughter of a Latin teacher and an English professor. I began painting as a teenager, alone in my room with a canvas and easel and no instruction other than a book. I earned a doctorate in English from The University of Texas before moving with my husband to Sioux City, Iowa, where we raised two children. I enjoyed a long career teaching English at Briar Cliff University.
It was not until I retired that I took up painting seriously and began to take classes, go to workshops, and hone my art. I am a member of Siouxland Artists, Inc., The Great Plains Watercolor Society, and Seven Women with a Brush. In addition to 3Rivers Gallery, my work has been displayed at the Coyote Twin Gallery in Vermillion, SD, as well as in regional group exhibitions.
My Story
My paintings range from representational to semi-abstract to abstract. I am always interested in fusing the representation of the world with my emotional response to it. Poet Gerard Manley Hopkins said that when you stare hard enough at nature, it will stare back at you. I try to capture in my paintings that moment of connection when the world gives in to your gaze and releases to you its beauty and meaning. At that point you can look away from your reference and paint from the heart.
I am interested in the intersection of representational art and abstraction. I like to use materials created accidentally or spontaneously, such as papers painted with no plan in mind. I enjoy the process of “taming” or bringing order to these wild elements gently, without killing their natural intensity. The medium of watercolor lends itself to this tension between control and the play of the paint on the paper. Always, I hope to achieve an emotional impact, and this sense of what the painting “means” to me is not always pre-planned but tends to grow on me as I work. I find myself painting instinctively, as the images, colors, shapes, and lines of the painting move me and take on emotional or intellectual significance.
Image Gallery
There may be no better way to communicate what we do than through images. As you browse our site, take a few moments to let your eyes linger here, and see if you can get a feel for our signature touch.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.