When I first retired I did lots of different crafts. Then, I began exploring different mediums to paint with and since I couldn’t decide which medium I liked best, I began to mix all these
mediums together and first became a mixed media artist. During this time, I found the medium of Alcohol Inks. I was attracted to their vibrancy of colors and the way they flowed on various
substrates. Sometimes, I will add other mediums to the Alcohol Inks such as acrylic paint, Pastels, Oil Sticks, many different types of Gels, Cold Wax and Encaustics. Usually, I use old credit cards, skewers, toothpicks, straws, makeup sponges, canned air to move the ink on the substrates. Most paintings are done on Yupo paper, but I also use cardstock, Gesso Board and
Mylar. Recently, I have begun to use Resin in my art. Resin gives the painting an immediate pop of color. The finish of the Resin is amazing.I am self-taught with a sprinkling of online video classes in the Alcohol Inks. Just using my imagination and trying to push the inks and mediums to its limits, I have had great success.
I sometimes feel like a scientist instead of an Artist, and I call my studio my lab. Most of my paintings are Expressive Landscapes. These are influenced by my travels to Southeast Asia, Mexico, and the United States. The natural wonders of trees and flowers and land give me inspiration for my paintings. My eyes are always open and I look for the beauty of natural elements and how I think I can incorporate them into my art. I love to interpret the memories of the beauty of these places in my artwork.
Today, I proudly call myself an artist. I’ve enjoyed and learned much about how the art world works, through selling in galleries, entering contests, or presenting my paintings online. I now
believe that anything is possible, that dreams do come true if you are passionate about what you choose for yourself.