In 2018, for my 70th birthday, I gave myself the gift of art mentorship with an established Portland artist with whom I had made a connection. Through weekly sessions to systematically deconstruct and reconstruct my habits and to establish a steady routine and output of work, I have re-centered what has always been my heart’s work: making art.

Using a variety of materials including acrylic paints, pencils, pastels, and a wide range of tool like brushes, sponges, and scrapers, my work has progressed from a strong but unfocused desire to ‘make something’ to a strong and clear desire to ‘make something meaningful’ via more fully realized large and small-scale colorful works on paper and canvas, and inspired by my love of gardening and the natural world.

I also incorporate pen and ink into my work, and am currently studying the work of Joan Mitchell and other masters to learn more about the ‘moving’ form and space within a painting. My paintings are generally considered abstract, but my inspiration is rooted in the botanical and all things grown wild.