I am an eclectic artist.

I have painted both what I see and what I feel. I try not to squeeze into any particular box stylistically. My goal is to let my free spirit flow into my work.

I was raised in Los Angeles by a bohemian leaning free spirited Mother who allowed me a lot of creative freedom. She was anything but conventional. My Father, the consumate business man provided the structure, but thankfully he was also able at times to be the most playful human. They were a good balance of people to look up to. It was very early that they described me as an artist and it stuck. 

art backround

I studied Environmental Design at UCLA, at that time my intention was to become a furniture designer or a corporate interior designer. Previous, I spent 2 years at Santa Monica College where I received an AA degree. I think I enrolled in almost every art related class they offered. I got married and moved to Salt Lake City and wanting very much to further my studies in art, I enrolled in the Art Program at the University of Utah. It was there that I focused in on Painting. I earned my BFA under the guidance of Professors and well respected painters all, Paul Davis, David Dornan and John Erickson. 

Their focus was very formal, figurative and traditional. We frequently took field trips to paint Plein Air landscapes all over beautiful places in Utah. I loved painting in oil. The whole process of mixing the paints with the mediums, and the smell of the paint and the solvents it all had a meditative quality to it.

We moved to England and I rented my first studio space to paint in. We held exhibitions and I sold works there. I still remains one of proudest achievements to know that some of pieces will remain in the collections of the very nice people I got to know over the pond. We spent three years there and I cried when we left. 

We moved back to the states and decided to live in Colorado. Having lived overseas gave our whole family a broader perspective on many things. One of the things for me was that I discovered a new interest in a more expressive style for my art. I rented a studio space in Denver and went to work experimenting with new materials. Acrylic paint, house paint, spray paint, inks, pastels and even wooden type (wooden print blocks that I collected in England) dipped in inks, collage. I worked like a scientist in a lab and I that is what I still do today. 

inspiration

My abstract works are inspired from everywhere. I keep a bank of visual inspiration from lots of sights, textures, sounds and tastes. Sometimes I rely on phrase or a place. Other times it is just music that sparks an idea. I start the works by laying out some arbitrary marks and then layer different media on top, it gets me out of the starting gate. The work then goes into a very messy stage, (this is when I I know I am on the right track). The balance is off and the challenge begins. I have to solve the puzzle and make it work by connecting the dots visually and relying on my knowledge of my formal training. The paintings begin to write their own story and I attempt to read what they are trying to say. Relying on my intuition is where I feel most alive and this must be why I paint like this.

My goal is my viewer to be able to recognize my marks as honest and sincere. I want them to have a visceral experience when they see it. I wish for there to be an  impact from viewing from afar and for the up close view to be profound, delicate  and familiar. It is these subtleties that I long to accomplish. 

family

I am a Wife and a Mom of a large wonderful family. We have lived in 5 different states in the US and spent 3 years living abroad in the UK before we decided to come back to the states and settle in the Rockies. Living in Colorado surrounded by the grand rocky mountains and the magical bursting city of Denver has been magical for us all. My studio at home is only steps away from where I find myself managing the wonderful chaos that is my life. Chasing our dogs, holding down the fort and stepping in to raise our girls and our boys who are mostly able to care for themselves now and all of whom encourage me to paint. My very biggest fan is my Husband. SO thanks honey!

A fun silly picture like this is hard to capture these days. Half of my kids are now on their own now, but this is us.