History

I have always been a creative person. I started sewing when I was fairly young and was making my own clothes in high school. I always thought I would do something in the fashion industry, but that didn't happen. After fumbling around a bit, I went to college and got a degree in Business Administration. Not overly creative but it helped pay the bills. I started a job in banking and also worked part time at a local fabric store, using my employee discount to buy fabric and finding time when I could to make clothes. As I worked my way up the corporate ladder, I had less and less time to sew and more need for business clothes. I took up knitting as a pastime and made more hats and scarves than anyone ever needed.

Then we started remodeling our house and I started taking interior design classes. I was hooked and ended up going to school full time to earn a degree in Interior Design. But of course that wasn't enough. It was a history of interiors class that really got my interest and I started taking Art History classes. I have always loved museums and art, reading about it, studying the artist, etc. but I had never formally studied Art History. They role that art has played in history fascinated me and after some long discussions (and a lot of encouragement from my husband) I started working toward a Master's Degree in Art History. As a part of that, I have studied Italian, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, print-making, and painting and fallen in love with oil painting.

In 2016, I was fortunate enough to spend a semester in Florence Italy, studying both Art History and plein air painting. It was an amazing experience, and one that I will never forget. As I am completing my Master's thesis on Renaissance art, I am also painting, nearly every day. My style is much more contemporary, and eclectic. I never know what I am going to paint next, and I like that. I never thought that I would like still-life painting, but a class or two later, and I find that quite interesting and much more challenging, when the goal is realistic rendering.

I don't know what is around the next corner, but I look forward to it, whatever it is, and where ever it takes me.