I was always interested in art, drawing in particular, and sketched for many years before I took my first watercolor class from Bob Croskery at the urging on my younger sister in 1982. I loved it (she didn’t) and I continued with it for decades, while working and raising a family. I did show and sell some back then (under a previous surname, at the SAAG Christmas sale and at local restaurants) but it really was a low priority at that time of life.
When things became less frenetic, I decided to get back into art and returned to watercolors. Soon I felt a need to expand so I decided to try acrylics which I also really enjoyed – with these I went bigger and brighter. But after a bit I wanted to add some other dimension to my acrylics and needed something that could be found in abundance and was of a manageable size. Then early this year during a restless night I had an inspiration. Jigsaw puzzles were the answer! I have then purchased hundreds of used puzzles, and sorted them all, and used them as my ‘palette’. The most interesting part of these ‘puzzle paintings’ is that you see different aspects every time you look at one. All the pieces are from different puzzles; some have tiny people in them, or eyes, or clocks or words, yet from a distance they look like ‘regular’ paintings. The downside is that they take a lot of time, but I find them vibrant and novel. Then, along the same lines, I chose to replicate the richness of the puzzle paintings but with a somewhat reduced time commitment with torn paper as a palate. I liked those results as well. These days I am incorporating torn paper into acrylic paintings and working with markers on realistic representations of consumer goods. Joining the art club allowed me to connect with like-minded folks and this resulted in an extension into murals that was a nice diversion, and which adds a community service element to one of my favorite activities.
I can be reached text or phone at 403-795-5881.
