Medium/Art Form: Visual
When and how did you start making art?
I began my artistic career as a fiber artist, designing and creating pictorial quilts.
I am in love with bright, pure color, both in my art pieces and in my own life.
My formal degrees are in the math and sciences fields, and I spent my professional career in the information technology industry.
My art gives me the freedom and creativity that the structured math/science disciplines could never do.
I have no formal art training, so I am free to let my art go wherever it wants without worrying if I’m breaking any “rules.”
I create each piece because I like it and for my own satisfaction, not necessarily because I think someone else will like it (though I hope people do).
I have been a fiber artist for more than 30 years and have had several pieces published in various art books and magazines.
One of my pieces was included in the “Top 100 Art Quilts of the 90’s Decade” and was part of a traveling exhibition that toured the world including stops in Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Last year my family and I visited the Bob Ross Art Museum in Indiana where we participated in a Bob Ross method class.
It was my first experience with oil painting, and I fell in love.
The whole process of prepping canvas, mixing paint, stroking with the brush and putting what I feel and see onto the blank canvas in front of me was so satisfying and relaxing that I immediately went out and stocked my studio.
I find I’m a messy painter, and it is not unusual for me to run errands with a streak of paint running across my cheek.
When I accidentally meet up with my friends on one of those outings, they just shake their heads, smile and sigh.
And I’m ok with that!
What inspires your work?
I love the colors of nature, the brighter the better.
You never see an unpleasant color combination in the world in its natural, untouched state.
The unexpected shape of a tree or unusual rock formation or strange cloud makes me want to analyze the structure, shadows and colors, and then try to capture them in an art piece.
How would you describe Northeast Wisconsin’s art community?
I am just stepping into the art world and have managed to watch other artists at work.
I am finding everyone in the area art community is so helpful and eager to discuss their methods and techniques.
They are very supportive and eager to welcome artists to their world.
What is the best advice you have for other artists?
Be brave and create art that pleases yourself and don’t worry about whether anyone else likes it.
Where can people find your work?
I currently have art on display at the Art Garage in Green Bay.