ARTIST STATEMENT

In my first career, living in New York City, I was a dancer and choreographer.  I loved the language of movement: its rhythms and textures.  I made costumes, choosing the colors with great care, deciding the shape of the sleeves, and the flow of the skirts to enhance the message of a particular dance.

I discovered Botanical Art in 2000, when I took a workshop with Master Teacher Katie Lee.  I am now living in the Southern U.S., a botanical paradise, as everything grows so profusely.  The bright magenta buds on the Tulip Magnolia Trees and the pale pink of the Dogwood flowers in the spring intrigue me.

My process begins with attraction.  I always carry a sketchbook with me.  Besides drawing the flower, I write down what attracted me.  Was it the color or shape?  Was it the texture or luminosity?

I create color samples in the field and also take photos.  I return to the studio with all the information I've gathered and begin to compose the painting.  I try to connect my feelings for the plant or flower with the composition on the page.  If it's color that first attracted me, I emphasize it.  If I am drawn to the flower at a particular moment in time, then that is the story I transmit.  What I loved about movement and dancing, could now be re-explored with paint.  My desire is to capture the essence of the plant while remaining botanically accurate.