I acquired an early appreciation for the fine arts, drawing, and painting, under the direction of my artist parents, my father a successful illustrator, and mother a display artist and sculptor. From the time I could hold a pencil, I was drawing on the floor of my father’s studio, and realized my destiny as an artist at an early age. I was introduced to the works of masters with trips to great museums, galleries, and art studios, and became a model for my father as he gave live painting demonstrations around the Chicago area schools and art leagues. My early endeavors rewarded me with scholarships from National Scholastics Magazine and the Croation Fraternal Union, resulting in a
B.A. in Fine Arts and Painting from Ringling College of Art and Design in 1971.
A love of the out of doors and a passion for painting has resulted in numerous awards and recognition in plein air events and festivals across the country. Although primarily a landscape painter, my work also includes still life, figurative and wildlife, and has been featured on apparel and in print for many national and international conservation and wildlife organizations.
Art in all forms, but especially painting, became and remains my passion. It has enriched my life tremendously, bringing me great peace, excitement, friendships, and adventures with every painting, but the the greatest pleasure is having others experience these emotions themselves in viewing my work, and in sharing my feelings, thoughts, ideas, and knowledge.
Membership:
Plein Air Painters of the Southeast (PAP-SE), Salmagundi Club NYC, California Art Club, and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Signature Membership:
Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists, American Impressionist Society.
Publications/articles:
American Artists Magazine, American Art Collector, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art
Link to Plein Air Magazine Article: http://ca.zinio.com/mag-reader/h5r-reader.jsp#/readsvg/416349040/32
Fine Art Galleries:
Coconut Grove Gallery in Miami, FL, Palm Avenue Fine Art Gallery in Sarasota, FL
Awards, Recognition:
2022:
• Second Place: Bath County Plein Air Festival
• Second Place: Cashiers Village Green Plein Air Festival
• Award of Excellence: New Bern Plein Air
• Best Landscape/Agricultural: Gloucester Plein Air Festival
• Oil Painters of America Annual Juried Exhibition
2021:
• Oil Painters of America Annual Juried Exhibition, California Center for the Arts
• American Impressionist Society 22nd Annual Juried Exhibition
• Awards Judge, Oil Painters of America, Eastern Regional Exhibition
2020:
• Salmagundi Art Club “View Out My Window” Best of Show
• Oil Painters of America Annual Juried Exhibition, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredricksburg, TX
• Exhibition Judge, Oil Painters of America, Western Regional Exhibitiion
• Award of Excellence, American Impressionist Society 21st Annual Juried Exhibition
2019
• Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition, Reinart Gallery, Charleston, SC
• American Impressionist Society 20th Annual Juried Exhibition
• Oil Painters of America 28th National Exhibition, Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, UT
2018
• Haggin Museum, American Women Artists Signature Member Exhibition
• Juried Plein Air Exhibits in Annapolis, MD, Richmond, VA, Cashiers, NC
• Oil Painters of America Salon Show Exhibition, Traverse City, MI
• Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Steamboat Springs, CO
• American Impressionist Society Small Works Exhibition, Cincinnati, OH
• Solo Show, Patrica Thompson Gallery, Ringling College of Art, Sarasota
2017
• Randy Higbee 6”Squared Exhibit & Competition, Orange County, CA
• Award of Merit, Plein Air Competition, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
• 3rd Place Award, Plein Air Magazine Bold Brush Competition
• Best Seascape, Plein Air Magazine Bold Brush Competition
• RCAD Professional Development Grant, workshop with master marine painter Joseph McGurl
• Awarded Signature Member Status, Oil Painters of America
• 2nd Place Plein Air Richmond “Fast & Fresh” Quick Paint, Richmond, VA
2016
• Plein Air Magazine Award of Distinction, Associate & Signature Division, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
• Best of Show, Plein Air Richmond, Richmond, VA
• Editors Choice Award, American Art Collector (Joshua Rose), Light Chaser Master Show, Sarasota, FL
• Peoples Choice Award, Light Chaser Master Show, Sarasota, FL
• First Place Painting, 2016 Beaux Arts Fine Arts Festival, Coral Gables U of Miami, FL
2015
• Best of Show, Annapolis Plein Air, Annapolis, MD
• Seascape Honorable Mention Award, Associate & Signature Division, Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
• Fouth Place, Women Painters of the Southeast National Exhibition
• Second Place Glynn Visual Arts Center Fine Art and Flowers Annual Exhibition
• Second Place, Quick Draw, Florida's Forgotton Coast Paintout
• Awarded Professional Development Grant 2015 from Ringling College of Art and Design
for extensive figurative study July 2015 at the Flemish Classical Atelier in Bruges, Belgium
2014
Signature Member Award of Excellence, Women Painters of the Southeast
Finalist, American Impressionist Society Annual Exhibition
American Women Artists Western Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA, Exhibition
First Place Quick Draw and Honorable Mention, Plein Air Richmond, Richmond, VA
Best of Show, Paint the Town Plein Air, Art Center Manatee, Bradenton, FL
Third Place, Quick Draw, Piedmont Plein Air, High Point, NC
2013
Finalist, American Impressionist Society Annual Exhibition
Finalist, American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Award of Distinction
Finalist, Oil Painters of America National Exhibition and Plein Air Salon Exhibition
Finalist, Women Painters of the Southeast
Honorable Mention, Cumberland Society of Painters National Exhibition
Second Place, Quick Draw, Plein Air Richmond, Richmond, VA
Honorable Mention, Plein Air Richmond, Richmond, VA
2012
Finalist, American Impressionist Society Annual Exhibition, Indianapolis, AZ
Finalist, American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Tubec, AZ
Impressionist Award of Excellence/Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Evergreen, CO
Award of Distinction/Plein Air Magazine/Women Painters of the Southeast, Corse Gallery, Tallahassee, FL
Honorable Mention/Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitaional, Quick Draw, Carrabelle, FL
2011
1st Place, Paint the Town, Bradenton Art League, Bradenton, FL
Finalist/Merit Award, American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Atlanta, FL
Finalist/Utrecht Award of Excellence, American Impressionist Society, Carmel, CA
Finalist, Eastern Oil Painters of American Exhibit, Cape Cod, MA
Award of Merit, Winter Park Autumn Fine Art Festival, Winter Park, FL
Finalist, Bold Brush Competition, November
2010
Award of Merit, Paint Out In Paradise, Venice, Florida
Best of Show, Morean Art Center Paint the Town, St. Petersburg, FL
Award of Excellence, Festival of the Masters, Disney World Orlando, FL
Merit Award, Mainsail Art Festival, St. Petersburg, FL
2009
Award of Merit, Paint Out In Paradise, Venice, Florida
Award of Merit, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg, Florida
Juried Exhibition, Florida Plein Air, Museum of Art & Culture, Sebring, Florida
Award of Merit, Forgotten Coast Quick Draw, Port St. Joe, Florida
Juried Plein Air Event, Florida's Forgotten Coast
2008
Finalist, National Biennial Exhibition, Punta Gorda, FL
Finalist, The Richeson 75: Artist's Choice Competion, Kimberly, WI
Finalist, Paint America Top 50 Mini, Topeka, KS
First Place, Paint Out In Paradise, Venice, Florida
Finalist, American Women Artists National Exhibition, Palm Springs, CA
Juried Exhibition/Plein Air Paintout, Heart of Florida
2007 Artist in Residence, Le Hesperit Vineyard, Moncaret, France
Finalist, American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZ
Finalist, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition, Naples, FL
Finalist, Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Fredericksburg, TX
Finalist, American Artists 70th Anniversary Competition, Oils
Second Place, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg, Florida
2006 Third Place, Paint Out in Paradise, Venice, FL
Finalist, National Biennial Exhibition, Punta Gorda, FL
Award of Merit, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg, FL
2005
Finalist, American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Dallas, TX
Award of Merit, Paint the Town, St. Petersburg, FL
Second Place, Paint Out in Parasise, Venice, FL
2004
Solo Exhibition: Museum of Florida art and Culture, "Painting Paradise"
