I began painting with oils at age nine. In the early 1970's I became intrigued with the ancient process of batik, using wax to resist dyes on fabric. I still use batik techniques I learned in Indonesia in 1981. My batiks and larger oil paintings are created in my Albuquerque studio; plein-air oil painting offers me a way to make art while we travel in the motor home for six months every year.
Artist Statement
My landscapes are inspired by the hiking country in New Mexico, where I have lived since 1982. Travels in Latin America and the Pacific awakened my sense of color. Four years spent on San Andres Island, Colombia, in the ‘70's continue to influence me.
In this time of uncertainty, I am particularly honored to show my work at the New Mexico Cancer Center in Albuquerque. Research shows that art heals. Appropriate artwork can help alleviate stress, reduce the need for pain medication, and provide positive distraction. It is very important to me that my art hangs permanently in healing environments and this temporary group exhibit is a perfect stop on my path to help support health and well-being through my art.
My oils and batiks almost always deal with the New Mexican landscape; hiking in our beautiful state is more important to me than ever. I will show several batiks from a series I began in 2019 called “Enlightenment in the Land of Enchantment”, reflecting my interest in Buddhism. Small batiks are from “Tree Magic”, a series that I began recently and that I imagine I will be working on for some time. My other oil paintings and batiks in this show are meant to help us heal. My goal is to create happy, calming images that are also interesting.
