It seems that I have always been studying, creating or involved with art. As a child growing up in New Jersey I took art classes both in and out of school and visited the many museums in NYC. When it was time to go to college, I knew I was going to be an art major. I attended Boston University’s School for the Arts where I received a BFA in Painting. During this time I took two years of printmaking which led to my lifelong passion for printmaking. As graduation approached, and realizing I had no specific job skills, I enrolled in a MFA Studio Teaching program where I earned a K-12 teaching certificate. This teaching program and the introduction to printmaking have influenced every aspect of my art to this day.
When I took my first printmaking class I fell in love with the materials and process. The rich black lines, textures and tactile responses it elicited in me was something I could not find in my undergraduate paintings. While completing my MFA program, I was encouraged to play and experiment with materials. Emphasis was placed on the creative responses to materials rather than the finished product. This complemented my feelings about printmaking. Most of my prints are monotypes or monoprints and I often work back into them with paint, drawing materials or collage.
My discovery and ensuing passion for encaustic paints is a logical outgrowth of printmaking. Like printmaking, encaustics are very experimental in nature. In fact the process of painting with encaustics will often dictate the outcome of the image. The unpredictability of this medium is one of my strongest attractions to it. Encaustics also lend themselves to collage, so I often incorporate prints, found objects and paper into my paintings.
In 1986 my husband and I moved to Newport, Rhode Island and eventually we settled in Portsmouth. Both my homes have had views of the water, fields, marshes, the endless sky and horizon that surrounds Aquidneck Island. This beautiful visual environment has had a strong impact on my work. My images are often landscape oriented and reflect my impressions of light, colors, patterns and textures at an observed or recalled moment in time.
When I took my first printmaking class I fell in love with the materials and process. The rich black lines, textures and tactile responses it elicited in me was something I could not find in my undergraduate paintings. While completing my MFA program, I was encouraged to play and experiment with materials. Emphasis was placed on the creative responses to materials rather than the finished product. This complemented my feelings about printmaking. Most of my prints are monotypes or monoprints and I often work back into them with paint, drawing materials or collage.
My discovery and ensuing passion for encaustic paints is a logical outgrowth of printmaking. Like printmaking, encaustics are very experimental in nature. In fact the process of painting with encaustics will often dictate the outcome of the image. The unpredictability of this medium is one of my strongest attractions to it. Encaustics also lend themselves to collage, so I often incorporate prints, found objects and paper into my paintings.
In 1986 my husband and I moved to Newport, Rhode Island and eventually we settled in Portsmouth. Both my homes have had views of the water, fields, marshes, the endless sky and horizon that surrounds Aquidneck Island. This beautiful visual environment has had a strong impact on my work. My images are often landscape oriented and reflect my impressions of light, colors, patterns and textures at an observed or recalled moment in time.