Artist and instructor; painter of well loved places, traveler, loves a good story, gardener, nature lover, coastal wanderer in places salty & sandy.  Your guide and mentor to water media.

I began painting in my younger years trying out all mediums; watercolor, pastels, oils, acrylics - and loved them all. Being a Navy wife, we moved every three years, and I had access to great training every place we lived. Formal study at Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, CT; The Art League School in Alexandria, VA; and Watts Atelier in Encinitas, CA gave me a classical foundation.  

Living in San Diego during the late ‘90s, and belonging to the San Diego Watercolor Society was the best education in watercolor I ever could have had. Not only did we have monthly demos and workshops from highest level professional artists, every Wednesday we would go paint on location. Back at that time, there was a group of retired Disney illustrators (mostly in their mid-80s, who had worked on the films Bambi, and Dumbo back in the day!) that would always go paint with us and lead the group. After each paint out, we would hold a critique…there were usually about 20 people, so it was pretty amazing. After I had been attending a year, one of them asked ME to lead the critique! Years later I realized what a huge influence they had been on me, and how generous they had been with their time! They were teaching me to teach!

After we left San Diego, I came upon a new mentor, who told me, “If you want to be a ‘serious painter’, you need to paint in oils and only oils”. So I did, for almost two decades. The works of the American Impressionists had a great influence on my work, particularly those of New England and California.  Figurative works by William Merritt Chase and Childe Hassam as well as landscapes by William Wendt and Granville Redmond have fueled my imagination. Further study with colorists Leif Nilsson, and Camille Przewodek, both students of renowned teacher Henry Hensche, have enabled me to pursue this ever-intriguing fascination of the effect of light on color.

During the recession of 2009, I came back to watercolor, using it as ‘data gathering’ for studio oil paintings initially. Then it became a much bigger obsession. As a plein air painter, I was looking to lighten my load, and this was just one more reason I renewed this love with watercolor. From this fun, others began asking me to teach. Watercolor Sketchbook Journaling has been the love of my art life. I’ve taught workshops overseas for many years, taking groups to Ireland and France, and Italy. After building a successful following here in my home studio, I wanted to take my classes online. In March 2020, I did that - due to the pandemic, and it was the best “lemonade out of lemons” I ever had!

My biggest thrill is to watch my students discover and grow their love of painting. As your teacher, I would love to guide you through the challenges and help you find the “easy button” as your skills improve. YOU - finding your own unique voice and being true to yourself is my happy place. Your success is my highest honor.

Professional affiliations include:
Lyme Art Association
Mystic Museum of Art

Publications:

2014: The Day (regional newspaper) featured story on Daybreak section, Sept. 9th, 2014; Barn Island: A YEAR IN COLOR

2014: "Homing Instincts" novel by Karen Guzman, cover art (published November 2014) 

2008: Colour, Obsession, Joy and Torment! The Daily Painter Art Gallery by Micah Condon. ISBN:1440474060

My paintings are in private collections across the United States, as well as Canada, Ireland, UK, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and Dubai.  My most recent corporate collector is Bank of Hampton Roads (Virginia).