About the Artist

I've had a passion for art all of my life and studied the art of languages first living in France and Spain.  After retiring and moving to New Mexico, I traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico and became acquainted with a friend who urged me to study with Ray Vinella, then one of the six master painters of Taos, New Mexico.  Thus began my studies.  

The PURE JOY I receive from interpreting anything on canvas is incredible and my subject matter is varied:  landscapes, architecture, portraits, crowds, animals etc.  An early interest in architecture led to a successful side business creating "HOUSE PORTRAITS" in pen and ink and dry wash, and later PET PORTRAITS in pastels and oils.  I still enjoy these mediums, but have worked mostly with oils the past few years.

I continue to be amazed at the transformation of an empty canvas after only one hour working with oils in Plein air or in the studio.  Choosing between my love for plein air or for studio painting is like trying to choose a favorite child.  My interests become my subjects.

After spending time in COPPER CANYON, MEXICO, I delighted in bringing the faces of the TARAHUAMARA people to life on my canvas.  Other places that are near to my heart are ALASKA, the haunting landscapes of NEW MEXICO  (in which I hike, snowshoe and ski ) and most recently CUBA twice.  

My works have been featured in Johnson's Art Gallery in Madrid, NM, 2010; Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, NM 2011; and Bear Mountain Gallery in Magdalena, NM 2010 to present.  Fall of 2012 I was juried into ENCANTADA, a city-wide exhibition hosted by the Rio Grande Art Guild, and had a two-person exhibit at the Unitarian Church of Albuquerque in 2012 and will exhibit again in 2017.   In 2014, two of my pen and ink sketches have been juried into a show at the New Mexico Art League. I was entered in the New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair of 2014 and 15. I am an active member of Plein Air Painters of NM, The Rio Grande Art Guild and the NM Art League.  You can find my work in PURPLE SAGE GALLERY IN OLD TOWN ALBUQUERQUE, AND GATHERING ARTISTS IN BERNALILLO, NM. July of 2016 finds three of my paintings in ENCANTADA, a fine arts show in Albuquerque that is superb. You will find me at the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Fair this November at the Fair Grounds.

Though painting is my passion, I have enjoyed various pursuits such as Wilderness Survival, Drug and Alcohol for At-Risk Youth, Developmental Learning Styles which I incorporated into my teaching career.  I also do trail maintenance, mentoring, grant-writing, and historic preservation and interpretation.  I chaperoned multiple service trips to Copper Canyon Mexico with the Armand Hammer United World College.