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Color is my muse. I am inspired by pops of pure color that appear in nature and other subjects. My paintings vibrate with colors that occur naturally but that we don’t normally take the time to see. I love the challenge of seeing different colors in a form that, overall, appears as white. The juxtaposition of complementary colors gives a glow to the picture and makes my heart sing. 

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I love the buttery, pliable quality of oils and the colors that can combine to make a painting glow. The textural quality of oils helps me engage my subject not only in a visual way, but also in a tactile way. Using the palette knife or the brush to push and pull color and texture creates a sense of sculpting on canvas.

 

I have spent the last year painting and experimenting with gouache. Gouache is an opaque water-media which can go from textural to fluid. While the paint lies primarily on top of the paper, it can create a scratchy or smooth appearance. The colors that a thick layer of gouache produces can be stunning and can make a piece of art pop.

 

I want my paintings to make viewers stop and wonder – I want them to elicit deeper meaning from nature and everyday objects.  While painting, I get lost in seeing things in a new way, a way that feeds my soul. I hope my art will do the same for you.

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My painting career began at Loudoun Academy of the Arts painting in watercolor with Dell Keathley. Studying Figure Drawing at the Art League with Lisa Semerad helped my drawing skills. Christine Lashley instructed me in watercolor and beginning oil. The last several years I have been painting both the figure and en plein air with Walter Bartman, Founder and Director of the Yellow Barn Studio. I have the privilege of serving as a Board Member for the Friends of the Yellow Barn Studio.

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