I am originally from Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin at Waukesha and Milwaukee where I majored in Fine Arts. I specialized in watercolor and pen & ink, and was commissioned to do paintings from Connecticut to California. I moved to Southern California in 1973 and worked in food manufacturing for over 17 years. My husband and I moved to Carpinteria, CA in 1997 and I worked in the dried/preserved flower industry, as well as the fresh flower industry for another 4 years. In 2002 we moved to Ojai, CA and I decided to follow my love of painting. At the end of August 2013, we moved to Bend OR. We love the area and are closer to our family and children.

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I listen to music ALL the time. My favorites are Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. I have 2 Great Danes and they lay down next to me and supervise the progress that I’m making. Neither of them have an opinion—they just watch. I have found out that finishing a painting is the hardest part. It is difficult to tell whether you should just sign off and put the brush down, or continue to work on the piece. Usually if I’m not sure, I put it aside for awhile and let my subconscious do it’s “Thing”. In 2012 I started free-form sculpture in clay. I really enjoy it and I’m learning as I go. Three dimensional work is totally different than oil painting, and it takes much longer to create one piece versus a single oil painting.

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One thing I HAVE found out is that when I start a new work, whether oils or clay, I never know how my style will change from piece to piece. I LOVE to experiment and stretch my imagination. This is FUN!!!!

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I have won awards at the Ojai Art Center, the Professional Arts Building at the Ventura Fair, and multiple awards at the Ojai Museum as well as the Santa Paula Art show. I am looking forward to showing my work in Central Oregon and meeting the artists that are flourishing here.