I had an active, imaginative youth in Waco, Texas. My parents were both teachers in their early
careers and they gave me the opportunity to experiment with the arts including dance, music and
painting along with my public school education. After high school I went to Denton, Texas to get
my BA and MA in art education from University of North Texas. I taught art in the elementary
schools in Dallas for 10 years, then was accepted in the DOD School System for American
bases overseas. I taught jr and sr high school art classes one year in GooseBay, Labrador.
That summer, I was married to Jim, who was stationed there at Goose Bay AFB. I also taught art
history for the University of Maryland while I was at Goose Bay AFB. After moves to Tucson for 2
years, the Philippine Islands for 2 years, and Albuquerque for 4 years in the USAF, we were
both happy to get jobs at the national laboratory and settle down in the mountain community of
Los Alamos, NM, where we lived for 20+ years (from 1978-2000). At the time I was hired at
LANL in 1979, it was fun to be a drafter/illustrator. Pen and ink and airbrush were the modus
operandi, and eventually I trained myself on the computer and became a computer graphics
specialist for DX Division. I have since given up my day job to come back to being an active,
imaginative child again! We moved to Santa Fe in the spring of 2000 and enjoy being part of
the art community that thrives there.
I feel there is an exciting interaction between personality and paint evident in each movement of
the hand dancing across the paper. I look at a scene or object and try to capture those
quintessential colors and moments with a minimum of brushstrokes. My art can be
expressionist, intuitive or impressionist in mood. I think a style is emerging that shows an
unusual use of color and light and shadow. My subjects range from animals, figures, florals and
landscapes in watercolor, pastels and oils. My love of the outdoors and especially the Southwest
and people who work and play on the land is indicated throughout my paintings. Light is
important but color is also my tool of expression of appreciation of the land and its produce.
