Artist Statement
I am predominantly a wildlife artist from Madrid, New Mexico. I work mostly in watercolors, but I can and will work in acrylics and epoxy paints. I like to work to create paintings that make people smile and think about the animals, people, or landscapes that I paint. Every painting is a place I would like to be, an escape from the moment in time. I usually paint the subject from a photograph, but I add backgrounds from my imagination, they are mostly abstracts. However, there are times that I recreate photographs if that is the desire of the client.
I started painting because after I retired from being a school principal, I didn’t really know that I could do this, but it came to me with practice and I just love it. I feel so alive when I am working, I am at peace, I am not haunted by war. I am a veteran of the Gulf War. The animals, or whatever I am painting, get inside of me and they want to be on the paper. They help bring themselves to life. I love being able to disappear into my work. I can’t believe I can paint sometimes. I am primarily self-taught when it comes to painting.
My favorite tool when painting is my hair brush because it works so well when I paint fur. I love watercolor, it’s translucent, colorful, and blends so well. I love finishing a painting and seeing that it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I know it turned out well when I look at and I don’t want to fix something. I tend to paint intricate animals or people with colorful backgrounds. I love to paint with white… This is not normal for a watercolorist, but I add it to all of my paintings. My favorite colors to paint with are purple, burnt sienna, thalo green, and ultramarine blue.
I love to paint a good sunset or sunrise; I think that it will add to the painting. For me it changes the dynamic of what you are looking at. My paintings rarely come out like I originally pictured them inside my head. They always seem to change direction. I know a piece is done when I am driving myself crazy with the smallest details. I have to stop and say this is done.
What a blessing to be able to have this gift to give. I am so happy to share it with others.
