Artist's Statement

My paintings are inspired by the awesome beauty of nature, man's creation of gardens, and the belief that nature connects people universally. My favorite subjects are flowers and landscapes, sometimes with figures, and portraits. My goal is to interpret the essence of the scene or person rather than provide a literal translation.

Outdoors, in touch with the flowing energy of nature, my intuition and imagination are free to express my impressions through painting. When painting indoors, whether working from sketches, photographs or imagination, I sit near a window facing the garden. I live near Chanticleer Gardens, a parklike estate and horticultural gem, which inspires many of my paintings. Chanticleer’s ponds, paths, shaded seating, ever-changing display of colorful plantings and sense of privacy make it a sanctuary and inspirational place to paint, photograph, walk or just be.

A passion for colors and patterns has always been part of my life and has taken various forms throughout the years. As a child, I was attracted to the fabrics, buttons and ribbons in my grandmother's sewing room, and to the printed gift wrapping paper, which our family saved and reused at holidays. As I learned to draw and paint I began to collect colorful printed fabric and learned to sew and crochet. In high school and as a painting/illustration major in art school, I glued translucent fabric layers into collages, combining them with painting and embroidery. To help pay my expenses in graduate school, I designed and created crocheted hats, which I sold to students and boutiques. Later I started a local cottage industry, which produced my designs for hand crafted dolls and their costumes, fabric accessories, scented pillows and ornaments for exclusive stores and catalogues. Working as a freelance designer of giftware, cosmetic packaging and accessories, ornaments, embroidered upholstery and collectibles, I created designs and prototypes and researched sources for domestic and overseas manufacture.

While searching for quotations about nature for some gift product lines, I found that inspiring phrases by poets and philosophers always lifted my spirits. The connection between people and nature is universal, positive and inspiring ,with such unlimited boundaries . With that in mind, I began creating images to illustrate my favorite quotations. These designs and the ideas behind them became the transition between my work as a designer and my return to my original love of painting.

I am passionate about color and enjoy mixing and painting with variations of each color. Whether the subject calls for gouache with ink and pencil, acrylics, oils, oil pastels, collage or a combination of these, my intention is to make colors appear luminous or intense, rather than simply bright. Many of my smaller paintings using gouache are detailed, with small embroidered strokes, while the larger works in any medium, whether painted on canvas or on watercolor paper, often show broader strokes and appear more spontaneous.

Biography

Born:
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Education:
Rhode Island School of Design: Bachelor of fine Arts; Master of Arts in Teaching;
European Honors Program, Rome
Harvard University: film animation

Art Teacher: Medford Massachusetts Public Schools
Designed curriculum/taught grades 7-12: fine arts, graphics, textile design, mural arts.
Introduced film animation program.

Private Classes
Individual and group classes/workshops for all ages in my Wayne, Pa. studio.
Tailored to needs and interests of participants. Subjects include painting with acrylic,
gouache, mixed media, collage, design for packaging, giftware and accessories.

Designer: New York
Researched and developed gift products based on museums' collections for museum stores. Created local cottage industry and produced original custom dolls and fabric accessories for exclusive stores and catalogues.
Designed packaging concepts, props and prototypes for cosmetic and giftware companies.

Designer: Connecticut
Designed/manufactured embroidered chair panels/accessories for opening of historic hotel.
Developed concepts, created prototypes and costumes for dolls and collectibles.

Some Clients:
Neiman Marcus, Liberty of London, Elizabeth Arden, Museum of the City of New York,
Wave Hill Center for Environmental Studies, The Danbury Mint, The Inn at National Hall.

Awards and Exhibits
• Philadelphia Sketch Club - Art of the Flower, 2011, 2014;
151st Exhibition of Small Oil Paintings, 2014
• Juried art shows at Wayne Art Center, Main line Art Center.
• Delaware Valley Art League 2008 Fall Art Show - first prize.
• Original designs pictured in Architectural Digest, The New York Post, Giftware News.
• Animated film short screened at Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.