About the Artist

1973: B.A. with Distinction in Printmaking
California State University, Sonoma

1977: California State Apprenticeship in Art Metalworking

The geometry of traditional quilting designs appeals to me irresistibly, for order, precision and symmetry are important parts of my creative process. I work in watercolor because it can be a challenging medium when it comes to control, but it also offers great opportunity for exploring color interactions.

Combining historical patterns with contemporary designs and icons from my own life gives me the very satisfying feeling that I’ve managed to synthesize imagery from very different sources into a cohesive whole.

Like the original quilters, my goal is to make beautiful pieces. The juxtaposition of rich fabric patterns against seemingly incongruous images such as fish, insects and penguins, deepens the experience for me. They trigger thoughts, dreams and memories.

After creating a pencil drawing of the outlines of sections onto a single sheet of watercolor paper, I begin to apply watercolor paint. Keeping areas from bleeding into one another requires that an area be totally dry before applying paint next to it.

You can see some of my technique in short video clips on YouTube

To create the leaves, butterflies and pansies I flood the interior of the pencil outline with plain water. Then I apply many different colors to the wetted area. I use my brush to blend the colors until they are just right. When the subject is completely dry I can start painting adjacent areas.

Another classical watercolor technique is used to create the lace doilies. I draw all the negative spaces and then paint them, leaving the original white watercolor paper untouched.

I save all my worn out brushes, as brushes that have only 10 or 20 hairs remaining are useful for fine detailing.

Straight lines are created by first drawing with pencil and ruler and then very carefully painting the line. I do not use any type of masking to achieve straight lines, instead relying on my steady hand.

Music: I took piano lessons for five years, starting at age 50, and now use the music reading I learned for piano to sing in local choral groups.

Gardening: Roses, citrus trees, blueberries, apples, tomatoes, pluots and pomegranates.

Pets: Six box turtles!

Our turtle mom Carlotta has laid several eggs, including Pop (just hatching, above right and below left). Family photo (below right) with Carlotta and offspring Snap and Pop.