I was very lucky to be born in Laguna Beach. It was and still is a somewhat sleepy artist colony along one of the prettiest stretches of the California Coast. My father was just out of Marine Corps training when the war ended. At 18, he was able to get hired by the City of Laguna Beach cleaning the seaweed off the sand each morning. My mom was a ceramic artist at that time, working for Kay Finch. Soon they had two little girls to raise so left paradise to afford their new family. Fortunately, our mom was able to follow her artistic dreams throughout her life and both her daughters were inspired to do the same. I have continued to walk in her footsteps and to visit that magical beach ever since.
My formal study of art took place at Pitzer College and Scripps College in Claremont California. I also studied how to teach drawing before I became an elementary school teacher and I volunteered in my son’s elementary classes as an art docent. Over my career I have focused on writing, quilt making, sewing, jewelry making, artistic scrapbooking, knitting, volunteering, photography, acrylic painting and finally watercolor. I paint daily and take in-person and online
classes every week. I love working with other artists and experimenting with new ways to communicate my visions. I often see colors even when I close my eyes and I love experimenting. I also enjoy working with the other talented artists in our MIVAL community.
Over the past few years, I have learned from some very talented art teachers. Here are a few of my paintings inspired by these talented local artists:
