Influences
I've been interested in art since I was a child, when I was encouraged to draw and paint. During high school I took art classes at Carnegie-Mellon University. After a two-year course in commercial art at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, I free-lanced as an interior design illustrator. Living in Singapore, I indulged myself in Southeast Asia's tropical splendor and learned the subtleties and sparenesses of Chinese Brush Painting from local masters. I am now a full-time fine artist living in Orange County, North Carolina.Traveling expands my perspectives, allowing me to see the wondrous variety of Nature. As I travel I translate nature's art into my own. My subject's vary, reflecting the individuality of nature - but my art has a constant stylistic theme combining Western and Eastern influences.
Media
I have worked in various media including Sculpture, Fiber, Acrylic, Pen and Ink, Watercolor, Oils, Pastels and Chinese Brush Painting. Currently, my media are Pastels, Watercolors and Chinese Brush. In my travels I use these media to capture the feeling of the local scene and use my travel experiences as subject matter for paintings.
Over the years I have learned that Plein-Air painting with Pastels, Watercolor and Chinese Brush is the best way for me to express my artistic feelings. I take my paints outdoors to capture the beauty of Nature. I sit in one spot absorbing the view, placing it on paper. I see the depths of colors, feel the interplay of textures - I'm where I like to be best, outdoors. I use soft pastels for their vividly brilliant color, their bold feeling, and their soft strokes. Sometimes I combine pastels with india ink, acrylics or watercolor for the different effects they achieve. My Chinese Brush Paintings are also representational, created from traditional Chinese subjects, with a Western Eye.
Teaching
I currently teach Plein-Air Pastels and Watercolor for Duke Continuing Education, Durham, NC. I teach outdoors, emphasizing techniques for capturing the changing beauty of nature.
Selected Recent Exhibitions
One-Woman Shows
- Cardinal Art Gallery, NC, 1997
- Art Connection, Chapel Hill, NC. 1996-97
- North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Raleigh, NC 1996
- Hillsborough Historical Society, Hillsborough, NC 1996
- North Carolina Arts Gallery, Carrboro, NC. 1996
- Jordan Hall Art Center, Cary, NC. 1995
- The ArtCenter, Carrboro, NC. 1995
- Campbell Art Galleries, Southern Pines, NC. 1991
Invited Small Group Shows
- Chapel Hill Town Hall Landscapes and Scenes, Chapel Hill, NC. 1995
- Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1995
Juried Shows
- Dimensions '97, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC, 1997
- Horace Williams House Open Juried Exhibition, Chapel Hill Preservation Society, Chapel Hill, NC. 1996: Aspen Grove I; Morning Garden.
- Painting in General, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1996: Sheep Corral
- 6th Annual New Show, Visual Art Exchange, Raleigh, NC, 1996: Sue's Spirea Hedge
- 15th Annual Southeastern Spectrum, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1996: Nip & Tuck
- Dimensions '95, Associated Artists of Wintson-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1996
- Raleigh Fine Arts Society, Raleigh, NC. 1995
- Chapel Hill Town Hall Fall Group Show. 1995
- The Art Connection, Chapel Hill, NC. 1994
- 13th Annual Henley Southeastern Spectrum, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1994
Awards
- First Place, Watercolors: The Annual Spring Juried Fine Art Show, Cary Cultural Arts Association, Cary, NC.1996: Aspens 1
- First Place: Wake Visual Arts Black and White show, Raleigh, NC. 1993
- Purchase Award:Henley 14th Annual Southeastern Spectrum, Associated Artists of Winston-Salem, Winston-Salem, NC. 1995
- Purchase Award: ARC of Wake County, Raleigh, NC 1994
- Honorable Mention, Pastels: The Annual Spring Juried Fine Art Show, Cary Cultural Arts Association, 1996
- Honorable Mention: Mature Visions 2 Show, Raleigh, NC 1991
Galleries & Collections
- Wilderness Gallery, Stanley, Idaho: June-September, 1997
- Art Encounter, Las Vegas, Nevada: April-September, 1997
- Raleigh Contemporary Gallery, Raleigh, NC: 1997-present
- Jane Tyndall Gallery, Durham, NC: 1992-1996
- Susan Titus Gallery, Ithica, NY: 1994-95
- Raleigh Contemporary Art Gallery, Raleigh, NC: 1991-92
- Jill Flink Art Gallery, Raleigh, NC: 1991-92
- Ray-Chem Corp. (Fuquay-Varina, NC)
- Glaxo, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC)
- Quintiles Transnational, Inc. (Research Triangle Park, NC)
- Duke Radiology Department (Durham, NC)
World-Wide-Web
- Art Encounter, an Art Gallery: 1997-present
- Art on the Net, an Electronic Art Gallery: 1996-present
- Apple Mill Studios, an Electronic Art Gallery: 1996-present
- Afterimages, an Electronic Magazine: Winter, 1996
- Moondance, an Electronic Magazine: Winter, 1996