About the Artist
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, in the “pre air conditioning
and TV era”, I developed a love for natural beauty early in my life. I learned
to appreciate a beautiful sunset; the sparkle of light on water; the ocean, in
its many moods; the vibrant colors, textures, and structures of flowers and
wildlife. Though the natural world, I developed a strong bond with God and his
glory.
I attended college at Virginia Tech, majoring in Biology and
minoring in Geology. I spent my undergraduate summers working at the University
of Miami’s Rosensteil Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences as an
analytical chemist in Oceanographic Geochemistry. After graduation, I taught
high school science and math for two years. Although, I loved teaching, I gave
it up for a position as a retail executive with Peebles Department Stores.
After 24 years, I retired to pursue my passion for art.
Artist Brief
I have always been fascinated with art and watching an artist
demonstrate. I told myself that, when I had time, I would try my hand at
painting. In 1996, my father died rather suddenly of heart failure. He had
always been a true love and inspiration to me. After his death, my mother was
going through some of his things and asked me if I would like to have his
brushes and paints. What a shock! I never knew that he painted. She told me
that he didn’t, he always wanted to learn, but never got around to it. I
immediately thought about how much I would love to have a painting that he had
created. This proved to be the “wake up call” that I needed. Within three weeks
I found and enrolled in an oil painting class at Southside Virginia Community
College. I was hooked the moment that I picked up a brush. I plunged into art
with an appetite to learn as much as possible from the finest artists that I
could find. I have traveled extensively and taken workshops with many
nationally known artists including, Tom Lynch, Brenda Harris, Morgan Samuel
Price, Dominic Vignola, Valerie Stewart, and Tom Edgerton.
In the past several years, I have garnered fourteen major awards, including 2
“Best in Show”, 2 “First”, several “Second” places, and the “Chamber’s Choice”
award while competing in the professional category locally and nationally. I am
currently represented by Crossroads Art Center, Richmond, VA; The Purple Parrot,
Culpepper, VA; and the Blackstone Art and Antique Mall in Blackstone, VA. I
currently teach oil painting at the Southside Virginia Community College
Advanced Learning Center in South Hill and give private instruction.
My art is an avenue to bring many of my passions - my love of nature and
animals, my faith, my love of teaching - together with and my marketing and
business skills.
Artist's Vision
Light, elusive, transient, and
fleeting, is the source of all life and inspiration. It is the beginning and
the end of every day and every human experience. Not surprisingly, it is a
commonly used metaphor to describe God’s grace. Learning to see and understand
the way light plays in this world is a lifelong pursuit. Adequately capturing
light in any of its many personalities is my lifelong mission. If I can open a
viewer’s eyes to light’s beauty, perhaps I can open his mind to life’s
possibilities.
Professional Services
Offered
Mediums I teach:
Levels that I teach:
- Beginner and intermediate in each medium
Also Offering
- Offer signed limited edition prints, as well as, original artwork.
- I do commissions for Architectural and pet portraiture.
- I do trade demonstrations and technical painting seminars
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"Rusty" |
"Gardenia" |
“Peppers and Pears” |
"Walk in the Drill Field" |
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