The avant-garde medium of colored pencil is gaining popularity with both the general public and art critics. My work is almost totally CP. It allows me to render the finest detail. Occasionally I will add watercolor. Pencil work can be painstakingly slow, watercolor speeds up the process. I work on many surfaces from paper to film, wood and even gourds.

 

As a self-taught artist, I don’t know the “rules”. My work is often “outside the box”. Even those “born to be an artist” must spend years honing their skills. While I pursued a career in pediatric occupational therapy and raising a family I practiced my skills whenever there was a little time. Twenty years ago, after many years of practice, I finally went public with my work.

 

Getting lost in time while painting amazes me. Yes, CP work can be considered painting because the work is rendered in layers like paint. When a colored pencil piece is completed the work can look very painterly and indistinguishable from paint. CP has fooled even the most seasoned art critic into thinking a piece is rendered in paint.

 

Children’s portraits are my first love but I have found a fun challenge in portraying realistic, highly colored transparent and/or shiny objects from flowers to glass or cellophane. There is a satisfying “click” I feel on a physical level when I render a piece in total realism. Recently I have begun to enjoy creating more abstract pieces and baskets.

 

In my work, I am trying to convey joy for life. There is no deep hidden meaning except what the viewer feels when enjoying my work.

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I have been a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society in America for over ten years. It is my honor to have recently been juried into the International Guild of Realism. Last year I became a certified Ann Kullberg Soar teacher. 

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I have added a new love to my penchant for arts and crafts, making pine straw baskets. While I always have a plan when I start a new basket I really never know how they will turn out. I call it the zen of the straw! All my baskets are numbered with a brass tag and my initial. I am currently creating #31. 

 

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