Rollercoaster Painting

I was raised in Washington DC in a family of artists and builders. We always had art materials in the house and I often sat with my pastels copying the work of famous artists such as Vincent Van Gogh. As a young adult I studied Fine Art and after graduation, marriage and babies, found a studio to work out of. It was then that I truly found my center-painting. I always love color and form but it wasn't until 2001 when I realized that I needed to pair down my imagery as it was becoming too complicated for my own taste. This lead to finding images and collaging papers where I could cut away any imagery I felt not necessary and put together some spontaneously connect what was left. Those connections started to breed stories and that is where I would pick a collage to paint from. This process is magical to me and joyful at the same time. The painting would involve adhering my canvas to baltic birch plywood and cutting out the shape. I learned to use a jigsaw, make precision cuts and transfer small collage images to the large surface, and finish edges - Surprise-without computers. To keep my painting practice pristine and out of the hands of nay sayers, I decided to teach painting as well as become a Docent at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Later, I also worked for Golden Paints Company to give lectures and workshops on how to use acrylic paints and mediums. I was always interested in teaching people outside of the art community the value of creativity. On my site you will see not only cut-out paintings, but also stretched canvas paintings and a group of paper collages.