"In whatever one does there must be a relationship between the eye and the heart" - Henri Cartier-Besson
Artistic expression has always been one of my greatest interests. I have drawn and painted off and on my whole life and enjoyed the privilege of studying with fine artists and teachers along with visiting many great museums of the world. Media exploration has taken me from drawing with graphite, colored pencils, charcoal, pastel, and oil pastel to painting with acrylics and oils.
In 2000, while traveling through France and Italy, I was stimulated to try the addition of watercolor painting to my plein air drawings. Little did I realize how fascinated I would become with this for me new medium and the direction in which it would take me. In the past four years, I have studied with several well-known artists, including T. M. Nicholas, Mel Stabin, Charles Reid, Frank Webb, Don Andrews, Frank Francese, and Dale Laitinen.
The climate of San Diego offers the opportunity for year round plein air landscape painting, and it is to this particular artistic avenue that I have dedicated my efforts. To be able to be out in beautiful surroundings capturing images of light, color and shape and composing them into an essence that communicates that place in a moment of time is one of the most engaging activities I experience.
For me, it is a tremendous enrichment to be able to paint, as it increases one's awareness and appreciation of the world besides just the sheer joy of the process. I wish to continue learning, expressing, gaining proficiency... and just enjoying the fun of it!
Styles: Landscape, Cityscape, Florals, Expressive
Memberships: San Diego Watercolor Society
Classes: Chicago Art Institute; Pomona College; UC Berkeley; California College of Arts & Crafts; Design Institute of San Diego
Awards & Exhibits: San Diego Watercolor Society Juried Member Shows, 2001 to present (two Juror's Commendations); Art In Public Places Program, Log Cabin Caffe, Kings Beach, CA, 2002; 1st Annual Juried Plein Air Watercolor Show, Studio of Art and Design, Solano Beach, CA (Honorable Mention)