"Rio Abajo Rio" Painting

I am an abstract painter of over 30 years’ experience. I have exhibited my work in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Chicago, Dallas, Santa Fe, New York and in other galleries across the country, sold to the corporate and hospitality markets, and rented many paintings to the TV and motion picture industries. I was invited to take part in the Art in Embassies program, and am currently a member of the National Association of Women Artists in New York City.

Following my own imaginative vision through processes based on experimentation, I have painted in many media in a wide variety of sizes. Unlike much of art today, my paintings are never derivative or conceptual. Each medium presents new opportunities for exploration, and each painting is a fresh opportunity to discover something new. After living in Santa Barbara for forty years, I moved to Oregon ten years ago, and the natural patterns and textures of my woodland home find their way into the layers of my paintings.

For several years the main body of my work consisted of paintings in oil and alkyd on canvas. My "Erosion" series are close to landscape and have a strong sense of place. I applied several layers of textures and glazing, and included metallic and interference paints in the layers.

Also over the years, Middle Eastern art and the romantic poetry of the Sufis have inspired many paintings. These have included the "In the Garden" and "Threshold" series, which allude to doorways of mystery. In 2011, I began to further explore this interest in Middle Eastern art in the "Kilims" and "Magic Carpet" paintings, whose secrets are veiled with the intricate patterns and textures of Middle Eastern weavings.

In 2012, during a year's hiatus from my larger work, I experimented with the possibilities of painting with acrylics on paper. I was exploring an imaginative expression of inner sight, of light and color patterns perceived subjectively. The Hairat (Persian word denoting a state of enchantment) paintings are a body of work based on these explorations.

I am now working on a new series of acrylic paintings on wood panel. Unfolding from my ongoing experimentation with acrylic paint, they present small micro and macrocosms. Some include textures, and other some collaged elements. I am really having fun with these new works, and am pleased with the results.