I work with oil pastel on paper, oil painting on canvas, mixed media/oil pastel on paper, and handmade paper in nature-inspired, bold colors and abstract shapes. When I am painting, color comes from within and I turn to my feelings and inner intuition. The shapes and colors dance off my brush onto the surface, sometimes in a gestural line or a squiggle, to suggest the real object or place.
My emotions take over reality and allow me to work the pieces into their own visual language. Once the work starts to come together, I collage pieces together using found objects, such as old paintings and materials. If I work on paper, it must be strong enough to take the beating I give it through reworking, scraping, and cutting, as if there were hidden secrets.
I paint expressionistically. My recognizable style always evolves through experimentation. I like to work in series. Titles are important to me. It is a way for the viewer to be engaged in my work and create narratives to go along with the image.
I am a retired art teacher from Toledo, Ohio. My Bachelor of Fine Arts and Masters of Art Education are from the University of Toledo. I have published articles for School Arts Magazine and educational websites. My work has won awards and has been displayed in regional art exhibitions, such as a first place awards in the Annual Toledo Area Artist Exhibition, and recently in the Athena Annual Juried Show at the Toledo Museum of Art, Center for Visual Arts. Also, my art can be found in corporate and private collections including the Sylvania Public Library, Sylvania, Ohio, The University of Toledo Visual Arts Center, Kingston HealthCare Company, Owens Corning, Butler University, Reve Salon and Spa, and The Toledo Hospital, Toledo, Ohio. My work is represented in Hudson Gallery in Sylvania, Ohio.
