breathe Print

ABOUT ME I am an artist, writer, theater director and arts educator. I have painted and studied art all my life. I helped found and run a theater company in Seattle for 32 years. My fine art gallery and studio is part of the Clinton Arts District on Whidbey Island. My work is in private collections across the country. I am a great-great granddaughter of American artist, Ralph Albert Blakelock (1847-1919). MY ART I am inspired by my walks in nature, seeing a specific scene or moment in time that makes me feel good about myself and the world. While painting, I try and tap into a rhythm with my brush on the canvas to keep it loose and free, impressionistic. That said, I aim to recreate the reality of what I see with regards to line and form, color and composition, light and shadow. ARTIST STATEMENT For me, art and nature are inseparable. And I believe we either make an intentional connection with our natural environment or we take its presence for granted, in the same way we do with one another. I believe art connects humanity, recreating a sensory experience that gives us permission to reconnect with ourselves. Trees are my current subject matter of choice. I have always loved them. They have been my friends. Co-conspirators in imaginary play. Steady listeners. Brave witnesses. Fearless protectors. As an artist I am curious about the vital bond we humans innately have with trees, whether we seek them out, or we simply walk by them without noticing them. They can inspire our sense of wonder and awe, providing a quick antidote to an overload of digital data hijacking our senses. In this recent collection entitled 'breathe' - I am looking up and through the trees - studying their interaction with the sky and the quality of the air whether its breezy, gusting, rushing or still and quiet - and how this chemistry positively affects my mood, my thoughts, my decision making. Just as we rely on trees for their beauty and shade and resources, they rely on us to preserve their habitats, to better appreciate the fact that they need to keep growing so they can store water and communicate with their surrounding ecosystems. Thanks for checking out my work!