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As tears wet my face when disappointments befriended me, my mother’s
words of encouragement, “…there’s always a silver lining in the clouds”, brought hope and strength
to try again. Throughout my life I have leaned on her words as the struggles continued into adulthood. The darkness
of the storm's cloud with its overcast and heaviness seemed impenetrable by the light yet my testament is in each of my paintings,
the silver lining shines!
Telling a personal story is difficult to say the least, yet the drama of my life; the lessons, losses and loves all
paint a new story and I share those emotional truths, heartaches, passions, and enlightenment with you in my paintings. As
in every story, it is what’s between the lines, in the words and your take on the world that tells the tale. My paintings
are from deep in my soul where my light shines the brightest, knowing the value of life and the richness of loving that
comes out of darkness and brings the amazing joy I see in being human.
My paintings are an experiment in color, how they work together and apart. I use details to amplify and play with its tones and hues and every one of those details will take my story beyond just your glance. Looking closely you will see words instead of lines, the patterns have meaning with hidden messages from my heart for you that when the time is right it will be revealed. What seems like dots and a dash might be Morse code, what seems like common purple is really blue with pink on top. These paintings are about you and me, about our being human. Take nothing for granted within my paintings, for they are a gift to your soul from mine. I have enjoyed various artistic outlets beginning with wood as I watched my father and grandfather build "things" and the smell of fresh cut lumber that filled my senses. I loved being outdoors and in the garden. I found joy in sewing and quilting, working in needlework, copper enamel, beading, stained glass, drawing, photography, ceramic and mosaic. I knew as a child that I was talented but being an artist was not my dream and I spent my time doing what I could to keep me from being an “artist”. That all changed in 1992 with the desire for a hand-painted sink in my new Texas home. I couldn't afford the $800 price tag, so I took pottery classes in Seattle Washington (where I was living at the time before the transfer), honing my skills with ceramic paints and techniques. My pottery classes and training filled the new house with custom tiles and sinks. A home builder saw my work and hired me for their homes, and then a local retailer asked if I would paint plates and platters for their store. This began my first business venture. As I grew my business, I bumped into a local artist who was still learning the ropes of self employment. We became business partners; developing a fabulous line of crosses, plates, home furnishings and children's furniture that we sold to Neiman Marcus, Spiegel, Horchow and numerous retailers around the country, through a showroom at the Dallas Market Center. When the partnership dissolved, I stepped out in my own direction and produced handcrafted inspired lines that I sold to retailers around the country. ModelWannabe Reality Television Promo
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At the same time, I fulfilled another dream when I designed and opened Kil'n Time Studio & Gifts, Inc. a contemporary
ceramic studio. After 3 years of tremendous success I sold the business which continues to thrive in Denton, Texas. It wasn't
until I was on the Board of Directors for a non-profit organization and asked to be in charge of the decorations for the charity
auction, did I finally find the colors of my soul. The canvas panels I painted as decorations were spontaneously auctioned
off to bring in an extra $3000 dollars that night. I was soaring and have been ever since.
People
comment that my paintings look like stained glass, quilts, or fabric. My a-ha moment was when I realized the combination
of these artistic forms that I work in along with my passion for writing and my spirituality created this
style of painting. Contempfolkspiritcubicmodcraftexpressionism. Hmmm, is that taught in art history yet?
Continually inspired by the world, my intentions
are to bring the colorful and joyous energy that is alive in everything around us to my paintings, ceramics and words.
Seeing this beauty manifest on canvas, clay, and paper is moving and something I am blessed to share with the world.
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