I love making art—and all forms of play.  I get enormous vital energy from it and it’s this spark that keeps me creating. The art that thrills me most comes from a lifetime of valuing spirituality and a commitment to personal growth to discover who the hell I might truly be.

I’ve been fanatically drawn to the study of esoteric Christianity and Eastern religious philosophy for what seems like my whole life.  Combined with a lifelong dedication to dance, this spirituality informs all aspects of what comes out of me.  What excites me most are simplicity and harmony of color and form.  And being born with an attraction to the dramatic makes life- and art- juicy and fun. 

A long time practice of Dance/Movement Psychotherapy and five decades studying Buddhism and meditation drive my instinct to make art.  They seem to me to stem from the same thing- that innermost spirit fundamental to being human.  If I can project Calm or create joy in my work, I’m happy. 

The medium that continues to challenge and fulfill me the most is watercolor.  The luminous, transparent quality of it is plain gorgeous!  I also really enjoy acrylics, especially when combined with collage.  I like to combine watercolor and acrylics with inks and hand-painted and hand-made papers.

And color!  Oh my God!  It can nearly move me to tears when used in the right way.  I keep wondering, isn’t everyone like this?  I guess not!  Wild!

My first art teacher was my mother, who was a serious painter.  When I first became driven to pictorial art after I retired from psychotherapy I enrolled in every art class offered at SRJC.  Other local private teachers were Jean Warren, Susan Cornelis and Lisa Beernsten.  Other influences were years-long studies of ceramics and calligraphy which I loved for its orderliness, beauty of form and exactness of placement.

I hope to be painting for a long time.  I can’t imagine my life without making art.  My motto might be “Create or Die.”