Artist Statement
Some of my most vivid memories from childhood are derived from the black and white films of the 1940's. My parents purchased our first TV in the early 50's, and I would watch re-runs of those movies with my mother, entranced by the beautiful and confident women who starred in them, and their suave and sophisticated leading men. That fascination has grown to include photos from that time period, combined with an ever growing appreciation of old illustration art.
Although I painted the landscape for many years, I later became interested in collage, experimenting with various vintage fabrics and wallpaper as backgrounds for studies in oil of old vernacular photos. This developed into my Retro Portrait series. I also have done many still lifes, using objects I've found in antique shops. In one of the shops I purchased an old paint by number canvas which someone had completed years ago. Suddenly I could imagine superimposing my own painting on top of it, telling a new story. This developed into yet another series, which is still ongoing. Finally, my love of portraiture, combined with my vast collection of vintage hats led to my most recent series, The Hat Project series. Friends, relatives, and other artists posed for me in a hat of their choosing. Each portrait was done on an 18" square canvas, with a plain, painted background.
For me, art is organic, and I eagerly wait to see what odd "something" might lead to a new series.
Although I painted the landscape for many years, I later became interested in collage, experimenting with various vintage fabrics and wallpaper as backgrounds for studies in oil of old vernacular photos. This developed into my Retro Portrait series. I also have done many still lifes, using objects I've found in antique shops. In one of the shops I purchased an old paint by number canvas which someone had completed years ago. Suddenly I could imagine superimposing my own painting on top of it, telling a new story. This developed into yet another series, which is still ongoing. Finally, my love of portraiture, combined with my vast collection of vintage hats led to my most recent series, The Hat Project series. Friends, relatives, and other artists posed for me in a hat of their choosing. Each portrait was done on an 18" square canvas, with a plain, painted background.
For me, art is organic, and I eagerly wait to see what odd "something" might lead to a new series.
