Tell us briefly about your background & how you got started in your medium.

While I was always creative, I did not begin abstract painting until 2016, when I was fully retired and had the time. Since then, I have painted almost every day, and have continued to take classes and workshops in person and online.  My medium is “mixed”,  meaning I use what inspires me, found objects, unexpected combinations of materials. Usually this includes acrylic paints, inks, graphite, charcoal, pastels, crayons, collage bits. This allows me a lot of opportunity to experiment and play.

How does your medium inform your viewpoint? Or what do you like most about your medium?

Working with mixed media is very freeing. I especially love “gestural intuitive” painting….which means I get physical, using large arm movements, and sometimes putting some serious pressure into the brush or mark-making tool. And I don’t project. Each step is inspired by the moment, i.e. the current information provided by the painting. For the past 18 months water has played an important role as it responds to my spontaneity, allows me to be even more adventurous and physically connected to my paintings.

Who or what have been your artistic inspirations?

I have always been a fan of color! The possibilities energize me. And a while back, I had the good fortune to visit New Mexico. That was a turning point for me as it helped me see the beauty and value of “imperfection” in art/ creativity.  I was inspired by the casual approach to creativity, such as making a wreath from barbed wire, painting the trim of a mobile home to match the pickup truck, leaving the rough edges on art. This year I began to make my own brushes from oriental grasses, feathers, wonderful sticks and  driftwood. Making unique marks with my own brush is supremely inspiring and satisfying.

Do you have a favorite piece in your portfolio?

My favorite pieces are the ones that surprise me. “I made that?” Every piece in this exhibit is special to me, as I have experienced an inner trust that is new and so empowering. If I have to pick one, I have to say “Dancing Up a Storm,” in that it is so loose and expressive…..and it just so happens that my husband I met at a swing dance – many years ago.

What would be your advice to artists just starting out in your medium?

Advice? Just do it! Dive in! Take a class (in person or on-line). Invite a friend over to paint with you. For me it has been a learn-as-I-go adventure.