Artist Statement
Color has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. I had no innate drawing ability thus art classes were considered a waste of time; the money better spent on coloring books and Crayolas, learning how to “stay within the lines.” As an adult, I pursued many creative endeavors (miniatures, doll and bear making, knitting, sewing, quilting, decorative painting) all of which gave me a readymade platform for color. I thought of myself as a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none. I wanted to narrow my focus. I signed up for a painting class at Pullen where I quickly saw that my color skills would be greatly enhanced if I could learn how to draw! Through a litany of courses through Raleigh Parks and Rec., Meredith College, and NCSU College of Design, I learned how to draw and discovered colored pencils, watercolor, pen & ink, and photography.
Shortly after graduation, I developed a strong sensitivity to environmental chemical smells; I had to give up the dark room. It took me a year to take my new digital camera out of the box and learn how to use it! It’s a steep learning curve to move to the computer as well as move into the realm of color photography! Over the last few years I’ve gained the expertise needed for converting to black and white and making professional black and white prints and I’ve found the perfect combination of tools to create lovely hand colored, inkjet, black and white images.
I look to the natural world for subject matter. I am drawn to folklore and fairytales; I tend to search for the perfect “wee ones’” habitat. Right now I am photographing mushrooms, toadstools, and interesting tree shapes. I also enjoy travel, documenting our discoveries. I am working on a long term project derived from a trip to Spain to discover the roots of flamenco. It’s a wonderful combination of hand colored images, pen and ink drawings, and souvenirs used to explain the history of flamenco and to document the trip my daughter and I made in 2007.
