My life got upended with the arrival of Covid19. It was a scary time. I could not paint as I had. I was looking around and seeing things I hadn’t seen before. I saw a tin can stuck in asphalt outside my studio as well as a flower nearby. I saw a branch and a piece of shaped bark.
That’s when I started painting on wood panels. I stained the panels to highlight the grain. The grain of the wood told me where to apply the paint. At first I used acrylics and then started to use gouache paint. I started painting organic shapes. These shapes evolved into seascapes. It was interesting to see what was going to emerge next.
My teacher, Tom Wudl, introduced the class to The Chinese tree paintings of the 17th century. I started tracing the leave and trees to be comfortable painting in the Chinese style. I have always loved painting trees and this offered me a new way to paint them. Recentl my 20 year old granddaughter died of drug overdose. It was tragic event. During the months following I felt her spirit sitting with me. She was such a beautiful young woman. She guided me to create a series of collages that represent a collaboration of the two of us working together to create colorful, whimsical, and spiritual imagery.
I want people to look at my work and wander around the painting and make their own discoveries. Martha Graham said: “There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action… It is not your business to determine how good it is, not how it compares with other expression. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open…”
2023 Studies with Linda Lopez 2010-22 Studies with Tom Wudl 1998 LACMA Art Museum Council 1984-98 Deborah Schiller Hadl Art Counseling 1980-90 Studies with Ilana Bloch 1970 Verkauf Graduate School 1967 New York University
On Creativity
video by Van Urfalian / Studio 11 at Maker City / 2014