I graduated from Buffalo State Teachers’ College where I aquired a BS degree and my MS degree in Art Education. I taught Art for 32 years full time to Junior High and High School students. During that time, I learned a great deal, touched many lives and saw incredible talent. However, as an educator in Art, I found little or no time to pursue my own talents in the various media. I retired from teaching in 2008, did some traveling and eventually found time to do something I always wanted to do. I wrote, published and illustrated 3 children’s books (‘Back When and for Now’, ‘Not for Now, but Soon’, and ‘Im gonna miss my Brother’). I ALSO, was fortunate to do a signing for my first book at Barnes and Noble in Hamburg, NY.
I didn’t start getting serious about creating my own Art until about 3-4 years ago. Covid definitely was a factor in inspiring me to work almost everyday, for hours at a time.
In my PAINTINGS, it all begins with how I see things. I LOOK at people and places with the concept of creating a work of art every place I go. Putting together a composition comes next; sometimes I use a grid so that my shapes are proportionately accurate or I draw minus the grid. I like to do paintings of people and places, with emphasis on light and shadows, especially with reference to how it reacts to the human form and inorganic objects. I have been known to put people in different scenarios. I paint in acrylic, on either stretched canvas or some type of gesso board. My DRAWINGS include illustrations (which I have incorporated into my three published children’s books and portrait drawings.) I like to draw in either pencil, charcoal or soft-pastel pencils. The subjects in my independent drawings include real people that have posed in the context of a photo shoot. The BLACK AND WHITE drawings are also done using my photographs of live models and usually a single source of natural light. I draw them on black paper using soft white pastel pencils and the size various but is usually about 8 1/2’ x 11” with exceptions. Finally, my PHOTOGRAPHS can be of anything or anybody, depending on what I feel is ‘image’ worthy! I do photo shoots and will pay for models when necessary.
