“Art is the work of a human being – something a person does with generosity to touch someone else to make a change for the better."
—Seth Godin
BACKGROUND
Art and culture have always been a part of my life; I was first influenced by my parents. My English mother was a gifted painter, though she made a living as a librarian, always searching for meaning. My father, an airline supervisor in San Francisco, could draw clever caricatures and had a fun sense of humor. Our first home, as one of my earliest friends recalls, was different than others. The front door was painted aqua and the interior was modern, influenced by a sleek Nordic style, with my mother’s artwork hanging on the walls. Our family traveled the globe and our house was filled with artifacts from diverse cultures. These trips allowed me to begin to look at our world with a wider lens and awareness.
EDUCATION
After completing a BA in Art at CSU Chico, then working for an airline and having a family, I earned a teaching degree, a Master’s Degree and an endorsement for Language Learners. Being a parent, wife and teacher filled my life. I first taught art at Carson High School and then at Whittell High School in Zephyr Cove, leaving several group projects and school murals on display at both locations. Previous to that, there were murals completed at an elementary school and a facility for at-risk teens in Reno. I have donated my personal art pieces and supervised student group artworks to help raise money at school auctions and I've displayed my own work in small venues.
TODAY
I have often gone back and forth, considering if the desire to do art is frivolous or valid. There are more important issues in our lives and in the world, but then the aspiration to create is one which I cannot deny. I enjoy producing work with a realistically-based concept and a stylized, personal approach. From drawings to photographs to handmade prints, many of my pieces have symbolic meanings which the viewer may interpret in their own way. Themes such as our environment, love of the outdoors, serenity, and inner beauty may come to mind. My intent is that the work is calming or at least makes one pause and wonder, and that there is a connection made with a shared experience or emotion.
“Life is but a dream…” just as creating art is. There’s both planning and spontaneity in art making, as there is in our lives. Though we all experience ups and downs, I am interested in understanding people - inspired by the places I’ve been and where I live - with a goal of making positive images and making your day a bit brighter, if for only a brief moment at a time.
“Life is but a dream…” just as creating art is. There’s both planning and spontaneity in art making, as there is in our lives. Though we all experience ups and downs, I am interested in understanding people - inspired by the places I’ve been and where I live - with a goal of making positive images and making your day a bit brighter, if for only a brief moment at a time.
