Artist Statement

It began with the movie “Splash” in fourth grade when I became obsessed with drawing mermaids in various color palettes and poses. In seventh grade it was “The Little Mermaid”, we had to choose an image, draw a grid and blow it up. I nailed it! I got so much attention, I decided right then and there, I wanted to be an artist.

High school and college were all about art for me. I loved comic book illustrations and the fantasy paintings of Frezetta and Vallejo. Back then, I hated abstract art, but my perspective changed later on, especially with artists like Klimt, Miro, and O’Keefe.

Art became my escape from living with my alcoholic grandfather. I used to draw dragons, fantasy creatures, and animals in a realistic style. At the Cleveland Institute of Art I had a hard time choosing between Illustration and Painting as a major. I went with illustration and ended up in a web design career, but I kept painting and drawing on the side. For years I was tortured by the accurate police, worrying they would come along and compare my work to the source images.

After a day filled with video meetings in 2020, as an introvert, I felt so drained that I couldn't even sit and relax with my husband. Instead, I sat in my foggy, cold garden and “painted” some abstract art on the ipad, not caring about any rules and something clicked. The next day I created my first abstract octopus, and then another and another. I was finally free of the accurate police. And now I’m in constant pursuit of this new style, painting sea life and animals, always with vibrant colorful palettes, a touch of realism and a whole bunch of watercolor freedom. I’m having a blast.