I was blessed to be born into a creative family in Tucson, Arizona. At age three, my parents moved my sister and I to Bremerton, Washington until age five. When my grandparents came for a visit, I packed my clothes put them into their car and somehow they and my parents let me return to Tucson. Thus began an adventurous life filled with many people and places including six years in Southern Germany. Affectionately I am called “Grammin Gypsy” by both grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Art has always been an intrinsic part of my life. When other children received toys for life’s special events, members of my family gave me paper, crayons, colored pencils, paints, brushes and clay. Both sets of grandparents always had large stacks of paper and encouragement. Throughout my school years I used Big Chief tablets and 3-ring lined paper to “personalize” my homework until I received a 5″ x 7″ watercolor block from one artistic grandmother. However, I’m still sure that the pencil portrait of Shaksphere attached to my English report helped me receive that “A”.
During my senior year I completed a drawing contest with the hopes of an art correspondence course. My mother found the drawing with a large hole chewed by my sister’s standard poodle and sent it in for critique anyway. Although accepted by the school, money was short and my talents were later used for football and baseball flags, Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, Cub Scouts, costumes, along with various other creative works while working and raising my two children.
In the process of attempting to paint my 10 year-old daughter, a timely flyer in the mail announced free classes for portrait painting. I signed up and since then, art has been interwoven like a tapestry into my life.
Upon my return from Germany, I attended Tulsa Community College where I received an AA Degree in Human Services-Gerontology. When a required class was closed due to a lack of students, I found an open watercolor class. A new world of color and technique opened exciting venues for exploration. Then a job layoff in 2001 opened another door for a full-time career in art and creative wood working until I returned to work in work in 2004.
My love for art, people, and travel has brought commissioned work for portrait, landscape, still life, seascape, animals, and an 8 ft. x 12 ft. home mural. In 2006 I received the prestigious award of Best of Show for “Work Horses” entered into the City of Tulsa’s 1st Annual National Arts Program. Most of my work is currently in private collections in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, New York, Oregon, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, Bad Aibling and Groskarolinenfeld, Germany.
Posted on July 3rd, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Artist Information
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