Painting is my passion

Both of my grandmothers painted using oils. As a young girl I watched my Father's Mother paint and quietly stowed away the thought that I too could paint like she painted. She painted Alaskan landscapes where we both lived. She also painted totem poles. My Mom's Mom painted in two very different styles. The first set of paintings she did while she was taking classes before she was married. They are still life. The others she did from memory, after all seven of her children had grown up and left home. They are of scenes from her childhood; the old plantation they lived in, clowns, scenes from her trips to Alaska. During the years she wasn't painting she used her talent to make beautifully embroidered dresses for her daughters. She also made beautiful cake icings for all occasions.

In 1974, I painted two paintings; one a hot, orange and black desert scene and the other a cold, blue and white view of Mt Susitna which was visible from my parent's second story house overlooking Elderberry Park in Anchorage. They are both hanging on their wall above the entry way in that same house.

I retired from my 40 hour a week job in 2001 and started absorbing information about oil painting from books and our local Art Center. Most of my paintings are landscape and flowers. The landscapes are either of Colorado where I currently live or Alaska where my family still resides and I visit annually.

I live in a beautiful, richly colored area with the Colorado National Monument visible from my dining room. My paintings capture the depth of the scene using values contrasts. The shadows are subtle but the areas in the sunshine glow.