One might say I’m a late bloomer in the world of art. I didn’t realize I could draw until my late 30’s. My children were almost grown and I was looking for something to fill the void when they left. Having already taken piano lessons and discovering it wasn’t my best talent; my husband gave me a beginner’s art set for Christmas. From the first time I opened a tube of oil paint I was hooked! I began slowly and took a few lessons. As I grew as an artist, so did the time I devoted to my art. I relish every aspect of painting from the beginning concept to the actual mixing and applying of paint to canvas. It is truly my passion. When I’m painting, several hours can pass without my notice. My dog often tells me it’s time to take a break.
My preference is to paint from life and rarely rely on photographs. Although my primary focus is still life subjects, I also love landscape, portrait and an occasional abstract. The beauty of everyday life inspires me. The process of setting up a still life is something I embrace, and the more pleasing the composition is to me, the more enthused I am to begin painting. If I had to classify my style it would be somewhere between realism and impressionism. I am inspired by so many artists both living and dead. My goal is to push myself to be the best artist I can be and to create art that makes the viewer take notice of my work.
Living in a small town makes it difficult to access the highest quality instruction. I began by studying the basics at our local community college. Discovering that my passion and talent were matching up, I started to get involved with the Mt. Pleasant Art Society (MPAS) and assist in bringing artists to our town to teach and train our members. Taking work shops from several top artists including David Leffel, Sherrie McGraw, Xian Zhang and Greg Kreutz was also an important part of my training. I teach a class every week and do demonstrations for the art societies in the area.
I have served as president of the Mt. Pleasant Art Society which boasts a membership of over 70 artists from Dallas to Texarkana. I am very proud of the quality of the art community of which I have been an active participant.
Although I have not been in many art shows, I have been accepted at most that I have entered. The Mt. Pleasant show is a yearly competition, and I have won an award every year. Below are the highlights of my achievements in art shows.
• OPA National Show, 2005, 2006, 2010
• OPA, Betty Schmidt Award of Excellence, 2006
• AWA National Show, 2010
• MPAS, First Place, (Best of Show), 2002, 2007, 2010
• MPAS, Second Place, 2011, 2009, 2000
I have exhibited one person shows through the Franklin County TX, Arts alliance and at the Willow Oak Art Center in Mt. Pleasant, TX.
I currently display at The Southwest Gallery in Dallas, TX, The Frame Up in Mt. Vernon, TX, Jo’s Antiques and Willow Oak Art Center and at my studio in Mt. Pleasant, TX.
