I grew up in Santa Barbara California when it was still paradise.
My family spent many memorable summers in Europe at my Dutch Grandmother's house.
Oma was an early collector of Impressionist art. I remember lying on the floor, looking up at Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Picasso, Dufy, Modigliani, Monet , quietly molding my reality while I absorbed those powerful brush strokes, and spontaneous color.
I studied art at U.C. Santa Barbara, the Honolulu Academy of Fine Art, and the Santa Barbara Art Institute, focusing my interest on oil painting and design.
Eventually, I discovered fabrics in a printmaking class. In the 70’s I became involved with textiles, and manufactured stage clothing for San Francisco Bay Area musicians .
In the 8o’s, while I was raising my son, I created fabric “pictures” using collage and appliqué techniques.
In the 90’s, good fortune found me in Tibet, traveling overland, feeling as if I were perched on the back of some huge, life altering beast. On returning home I made the leap into oils and soft pastels.
Santa Fe, New Mexico was my home for 10 years. I now spend Summers in Sandpoint Idaho, and winters in Santa Barbara Ca.
I mostly paint from life. If it’s warm I paint outside. If it’s cold or rainy I set up a still life in my studio. Painting is my passion. I hope you enjoy my work.