Favored Medium: Pastel
How long have you been a professional artist? Well, what makes a professional? I have been doing art since I was 4 years old. It is a part of me. It is who I am. Am I a “Professional?” I have sold some of my art. I make a living teaching and helping other to find their creative voices. I think all art is worthy whether you sell your art or not.
What is your practice? I practice while I teach. I teach in many styles and this allows me to explore a lot of methods and techniques.
How do you work on your art? Do you wait for inspiration to strike? Sometimes Inspiration comes gushing out and there are other times inspiration seems out of reach. When it is flowing I can work for hours on end. There have been times that I started at 6:00 a.m. and have gone straight through the day to 10:00 p.m. When Inspiration is sparse I doodle.
Do you work at home or in a studio? I do both. I like setting up in my kitchen. I have a large French door that looks out over a park and in the winter I light a fire in my fireplace that is in my kitchen. It is really cozy. When I’m working on my children’s books, I like to be in my studio in Doylestown. The studio has lots of table space so I can layout the whole book and see how the art flows.
Has your working style changed over the years? Yes it has grown. I think it is getting better, more free.
What do you love about art? What I love about art is that there is no wrong way to do art. It can help heal and express ones feelings. It makes you feel good.
What does art mean to you? It is how I feel at a given time in my life. It is me, always changing and growing.
What do you feel you are expressing through your art? Sometimes I am a storyteller. Sometimes I am showing the world what I see, the beauty around me.
Who/What inspires you? Nature is always an inspiration, also my children. They are so creative.
Favorite Book: “Where the wild thing are” by Maurice Sendak
Favorite Quote: “If you only do what you can do, you will never be more than you are.” Kung Fu Panda
Morning or Evening Ritual: Every morning I get up early, I wrap up in a blanket and I sit outside with a nice hot cup of tea. I love to listen to the world wake up. I write in my journal and ease into my day. It helps me to organize my thoughts and my day.
What “gets you through the day? “TEA” I love my tea!
Describe your perfect day: A day spent doing art with my kids.
Best Vacation you ever went on: I stayed in a cabin with my dearest friend in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was so peaceful.
What do you (in the words of Oprah) know for sure? Life is amazing.
Favorite Series: I love “Avatar the Last Air Bender” This is an amazing animated series. Great character development.
Special Childhood Memory? When I was a kid we would go trick or treating by hay wagon. The houses were so far apart that one of my neighbors, who owned a farm, would take 2 or 3 hay wagons full of children around the aria. It was so much fun. Then when we were done going to everyone’s houses we would stop at the farmer’s house for hot cider and candy apples. It is such a great memory.