The sailor on a broken boat, listing precariously on a choppy sea of beautiful blue brushstrokes captivated me. It was the painting, "The Gulf Stream" by Winslow Homer, featured in a book which my father had brought home. I was eleven years old and looked at it almost every week. It was my introduction to Art as a necessity of life. That book, forty-plus years later, is still within reach.
Artwork has offered many opportunities including; juried shows, book illustration, gallery showings, the creation of a line of greeting cards, and the volunteering of my talents to several community needs. Receiving my Bachelors degree as an Art Major was a formal step in my development after twenty-five years of independent study.
A RAVEN-LUNATIC! Although lately involved with digital media, painting has always been my first love. I am currently doing paintings influenced by my fascination with ravens, crows, and trees, but am always open to other subject matter. Portraying the human form in graphite studies, (OK, they're drawings & sketches,) is another interest.
The ability of art to communicate a separate vision is part of its strength. One artist's understanding and expression should differ from other artists. Each work is influenced by personal experiences over the years, and is a specific response to the moment of creation. I recently decided that from now on, when asked how long it takes to complete a work, I will answer with my age. The application of paint is only a momentary touch in a continual process.
