BIO

I am an artist currently living in Philadelphia, Pa. I was trained as a figurative artist, concentrating on drawing and painting. While I have also painted in oils and acrylics, I find myself being drawn again and again to working in watercolors, exploring the relationships between colors, textures, patterns and shapes.

I have exhibited my work at Abington Arts Center, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania State Museum, Montgomery County Guild of Professional Artists, UADM Gallery, Ann Metzger Memorial Exhibition, Yardley Arts Center, Main Line Art Center, and the New Hope Artists League. I have also shown my work at Ambleside Gallery, Greensboro, NC, the Arts Festival Beth-El, St. Petersburg, Fla. and in a solo show in the Kol Ami gallery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Growing up near the woods around Richmond, VA, I encountered natural curiosities that deeply inspire the watercolor paintings I create today. From an early age, I was often interested in studying the texture of bark on the trees or the patterns in a fallen feather. I would often sit quietly and observe the birds and wildlife in those woods, making up stories about their families and what they might be doing away from human eyes.

When I was out in nature, I was always searching for little treasures like acorns, rocks, twigs, tiny skulls, shells, and oddly shaped stones. These became props in the scenes of the stories I would create in my shoebox theater. I was the set designer for a play for which only I knew the story. I loved—and still do love--looking at the tiniest details, and today I have a cabinet full of little objects. I still enjoy a good story and I have a collection of children’s books with beautiful illustrations that continue to inspire me. 

While I was in graduate school pursuing a Masters degree in jewelry and metalsmithing, I chose to follow that inner voice that urged me to explore the potential of the figure instead of the abstract or industrial style work of the 70’s. I decided to create delicately painted portraits in enamel jewelry or more sculptural pieces like a mermaid caught in a net with tiny cork floats and pearls as the links.

           I am drawn to painting images of people, animals, and birds in watercolor, and have lately been painting suggestive narrative work which asks viewers to create their own stories. I start the process by selecting a character I am interested in painting, and asking myself, “Where is it, who is it with, what is it doing and why are all these elements there together?” I set the scene with the cast of characters, adding a backdrop and props. In my own mind, I know what the story is, but I want viewers to create their own narratives with the clues I’ve given them. I particularly enjoy my recent paintings because they are whimsical and make people smile, and I’ve found that humor is a great way of connecting with others.