| |
A Life-Long Journey
I grew up in England and moved to Wales where I studied then lived for 22 years. In 2006 I moved with my husband and two sons to Stillwater, Minnesota. Growing up, I loved to paint and sketch and my studies included art history, which provided me with the opportunity to visit some world-renowned galleries and study the paintings of past masters firsthand. Although I left art studies behind to obtain degrees in both business and teaching, I still felt a strong pull to paint.
Upon moving to Minnesota, I was able to really give myself to the formal and dedicated study of painting in oils. I am now a member of the Oil Painters Of America and enjoying the challenge of my artistic journey.
As an artist I am continually taught, inspired, and challenged by the study of master painters past and present.There have been, and continue to be, many wonderful painters in the world, but that should not keep any one of us from expressing ourselves creatively and uniquely. That is our personal privilege and responsibility. To not paint because there are already great painters is like not singing because there are great singers, or not cooking because there are great chefs. Each of us has something to give creatively to the world around us.
My creative expression also involves writing. What I paint inspires what I write, and sometimes what I write inspires what I paint. But either way it comes from real human experience in this life. I paint and write to communicate the beauty and truths behind whatever the subject matter, no matter how commonplace. When a finished painting hangs on someone’s wall, I wants it to have the ability to attract and intrigue not just the eye of the beholder, but the heart. It should not be just pleasing to the eye, but refreshing to the heart. It should not just capture the ‘atmosphere’ of the subject matter, but acquire a place in the heart of the observer. Living in the beautiful St Croix Valley, traveling in Africa, working at a leper colony in India, and being a wife and mother, have all played their part in influencing my work. Every part of our humanity, especially the seasons of our lives, can be the harvest-field for our creativity. Through all the seasons of life I desire to learn and grow both as a person and a painter.The two are inseparable. This is a lifelong journey.
My work has been shown at the Minnesota State Fair Fine Art Show and Plymouth Primavera Fine Art Show (juried entries) and received awards in both landscape and portrait categories in the Artists of Minnesota Show 2009. September 2009 brought my Solo Exhibition in Stillwater entitled ʻPauses with Pen and Paintʼ along with a book of my paintings and writing by the same title. Recently I won Best of Show, First Place and Award of Merit at the Artists of Minnesota Show. In 2010 I was one of eight artists juried to paint for the White Pine Festival in the exhibition called ‘Painters Paint Poetry.’ My work could be described as ‘heartful’, and my in my exhibitions I strive to create an impacting and inspiring environment. One such exhibit was my 2010 six week exhibit ‘Response’ at the newly opened Oakridge Gallery of Gospel Art, Stillwater, where I was invited to be the inaugural exhibit. My work can be seen in the United Kingdom and galleries in Minnesota as well.
|
|
|
|
