I have been drawing forever. Although I took an art class
every now and then, the demands of a large family precluded seriously
pursuing art until our five children had left home. At that point, I looked
for local art teachers from which to study.
In 1992 I entered my first juried exhibition, and was surprised to not
only be accepted in, but won awards on the 3 works that were entered. If you
are interested in all the various places and shows that my work has been,
please read my "Resume" page.
Although I am a self-educated artist, I studied drawing for about 2 1/2
years at the Art League of Houston, as well as studying with several
Houston painters. Drawing skills and painting techniques are necessary to
do the kind of art that I am attracted to, but, really, for me, it is all
about color, value and drama.
I first learned to paint with oils, but eventually found soft pastels. As
a colorist, I find them completely irresistible.
The short version of my Resume is as follows:
My work has been on exhibit in the Museum of Hispanic and Latin American
Art, Miami FL, the Sam Houston Museum, Huntsville, TX, and the Texas Artists
Museum, Port Arthur, TX. I have had a number of solo exhibitions as well as
having work been accepted in numerous group exhibitions all across the
United States, including the prestigious Salmungundi Club and Audobon
Society in New York. My work has been in a number of local galleries, as
well.
Over the years I have been active in the Houston arts community. Currently I
am a member of the Pastel Society of Southeast Texas and has been an active
member of the Visual Arts Alliance since 1995. I have served that
organization as Membership Chair, Exhibition Chair and Treasurer. Along
the way I have taught painting with soft pastels, and have given workshops
in drawing.
Although it is not important for you to know why I do what I do, it seems
important for me to express that thought. For me, painting is a form of
prayer of praise, just as writing has been for such notables as Thomas
Merton. There is nothing that I can do that will add to what God has
created, but to try to represent small pieces of that creation on paper
or canvas, however poorly, is prayer.
