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Since I was a small child, I've been drawn to the creative side of life! I began playing piano by ear as a toddler, and actually remember sitting at our upright piano in the sun-room in that large parsonage where we lived in a little central TX town. I would plunk away while the sun streaked through & the breeze gently stirred the sheer white floor-length curtains. My mother said I'd come home from church [Daddy was a preacher] and play hymns that I'd heard...with 2 hands! I still compose & play by ear today. I also read music, although I was never one for proper lessons. My mother did not want to ruin my innate ability, for which I'm grateful. My father was an accomplished pianist, as well.
Drawing came next; I was always drawing ~ people, places & things. Charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, pastel pencils & ink were my tools. I also began to write prose & poetry to accompany the drawings, like storybooks. For some reason, I've always loved gathering & compiling a bunch of information and whittling it down to a comprehensive entertaining summary. I've created two poetry books ~ one on grief & loss, and the other about love, both of which were for sale on Amazon. This winter, I plan to re-edit & offer them anew. I'm already in the process of. Plus, there's a 3rd in the initial stages of being about the joys of gardening. Where will I find the time!?
Painting began with watercolors. I enjoyed it so much, that several of my very first attempts are available as fine art prints here on site! Pastel paintings & drawings were next in line, mostly soft pastel, many of which are also here for purchase, In fact, some are my most popular on site & elsewhere, including 'Shedding a Little Light on the Situation', 'In Beauty I Walk' & 'Noteworthy', the latter being my most popular image here as far as sales. I 'graduated' into acrylics and really went WILD creating large colorful canvases, both figurative & abstract, many of which are also here for your viewing pleasure & purchase, including, 'Imagine', 'Dancing for Joy' & 'Aria! All of the pieces I have mentioned can be seen on page ONE of my 'Images'. Several have been featured in magazines & on covers.
My current & longtime favorite art form is photography. I always wanted to be a travel photographer, but, as it has turned out, I don't really travel all that much! I'm quite satisfied [for the most part!] being a resident nature photographer here in southern OR, and mainly via my beautiful garden. All I have to do is step out the door, and voila, beauty & wildlife all around! The floral & nature photography available in my gallery is fresh from the garden, including the framed & matted logo image you see here, 'Last Yellow Rose of Summer'. Several of my photographs recently made the loop on our public broadcasting channel, which was a nice surprise & honor to see during a break in one of our favorite programs!
I love creating garden spaces & interior sanctuaries, as well. Though I am not 'trained' in either, I am blessed with an artistic vision & drive, and have happily helped others with interior decorating ideas, transforming their gardens spaces, as well as themselves! Color, flow & organization are key.
Along the way, I also did a few 'crafty' things ~ macrame, decorative mirrored pieces, designer throw pillows & more. I'm a seamstress, too, making most of my own clothes as a teen & mother back in the day. I loved creating my own patterns, veering from the norm, and really wish I would have kept more of those wonderfully unique & detailed outfits!
In the 80's, I went to Hollywood and did the acting-singing-dancing thing. That was quite the adventure! I met a lot of folks in show biz, which was a hoot. I was lucky to find a cool voice teacher who was vocal coach to 'the stars'. His mansion in the hills, the former home of Clark Gable, was a happy place where we students would perform showcases, practicing our skills, songs & shtick, and then take them to venues all over Hollywood & the valley, including the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Playboy Club & Improv Club on Melrose Blvd.! So much fun. Did a little modeling, too.
I moved up to my beautiful little southern OR hamlet after that, and used my education & experience to be a spokesperson in TV commercials & radio voice-over. I was lucky to nab some acting roles in plays, educational films & musicals. Also auditioned for movies and got close to getting a big break, but never did. Still had a ball!
I finally got that formal' education, graduating Southern Oregon University [summa cum laude] with a degree in Communication, emphasis on broadcasting w-minors in drama & art. My on-air partner & I received an A-P Honorable Mention Award in Radio News for presenting features & news on the Jefferson Daily ~ the very first news show on-air at our local university FM station...and the very first award received! That station now reaches millions in a number of states! I did enjoy collecting, writing & reading the news, as well as hosting several music shows, including a classical music hour, a jazz program & more. It was nice to work behind the scenes for a change!
Like many artists, I go through ups & downs re the creative process. For a while, I was able to go back 'n forth rather freely between any or all of my passions, but now, it seems that one takes precedence over the others...and I try to follow through to the end. Maybe it's an age thing?! Currently, photography is numero uno. I do have a number of paintings near completion staring at me right here in the studio, but, though I've tried, I have little desire or energy to finish them right now. I've got to FEEL 'it'. Same with music, my piano is just a few feet from where I'm sitting and I hardly notice it some days. When the time is right, I figure! I need to finish up recording some original piano compositions, as well as redo a few vocals on several songs I've written. There are not enough hours in the day!
If I'm not actually hands-on creating something, I'm thinking about it, which is all part of the process. I'm hoping it doesn't take until I'm Grandma Moses' age to 'come into my own', lol, but, if that's the way things are meant to be, so be it. I've stayed true to my calling [did I have a choice], honed my talents and have always done my best. All the time, energy, promotion, marketing & money spent for various related needs can make the creative process more tedious, but I try to remain focused. It may not have, yet, yielded me a great income, but what a grand profession, to be an 'artiste'!
For over 20 years, my husband John & I operated an Oriental carpet & art gallery downtown. What a great place, two-stories worth, to hang my paintings & welcome customers! I was spoiled. We closed up shop some years ago, but we still miss our customers & being more a part of the community festivities. Fortunately, we are still a part of the annual 'Taste of Ashland', a gallery-sponsored food, wine-tasting & art event.
Currently, I've chosen to concentrate only on Fine Art America-Pixels.com as my POD shop and exhibit my work in a small local gallery. I've nixed all other POD shops & eliminated my personal website, using instead our artist websites that FAA-Pixels offers us with our premium membership. This Covid-19 pandemic, the social distancing & sheltering in place, has given me extra time to cleanup my gallery, upload new pieces, support others...and create a NEW group for women artists & photographers called 'A Woman's Touch"! We've zoomed from 1 to 414 members in just two months of conception and have been ranked in the 'Very High' group activity rating since week one, which is amazing. If you're a woman & a member, come join us!
Click on the 'Click Here For More Information' link below to check out 'A Woman's Touch'!!
[Logo image: 'Last Yellow Rose of Summer' taken in the garden. For your viewing pleasure, I have matted & framed this image to show you just one of the many choices available when choosing the 'Framed Prints' option. You can also purchase it as a fine art print, mug, tote, pouch & more.]
