Artist’s Statement

My watercolors range from very realistic to completely abstract and many combinations in between the two. I especially enjoy using traditional watercolor paints and techniques for focus while creating an atmosphere of freedom and movement with wet into wet liquid paints. My grandmother, a very accomplished watercolor artist, introduced me to the liquid paints and I was immediately hooked. Working with them on abstract paintings has taught me more about painting and color than I ever would have imagined. For me, the fun comes when I add the pearlescent acrylic that gives the painting a shimmering glow. I love that the paints I use change color and emphasis as the light in the room changes. A painting may look one way in the morning light and completely different later in the day or with lights on after dark. Painting with watercolor is both challenging and rewarding in the fact that I am never completely sure how the paint will behave and where the water will take the pigment. I almost never sketch anything on the watercolor paper so I challenge myself to have the whole image burned into my inner eye and allow the painting to have a life of it’s own as together we lay it out on paper.

I am most inspired by figurative subjects, especially dancers because my fiance and I dance Ballroom and Salsa, and by animals and nature. I have two horses and a dog and we love camping, hiking, and riding. Watercolor is a wonderful way to connect with these passions because it is all about flow and light and following where the water takes you.