I am a “self-taught,” artist having learned from the observation of many artists whose books and DVDs I have studied, various workshops with master artists, and classes with various associations and institutes.

I studied very briefly at the Instituto de Allende, Escuela de Arte, in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. While I was there, I studied silversmithing and art history. Could it really have been 50 years ago? When I was there it was a tiny pueblo, mapped by callejones and there were very few cars that could pass. The natives were friendly and helpful and I was quite at home. There were no highways and you could easily walk from one end of town to another in a half hour. We lived in a hacienda built around a court yard with a fountain in the middle, almost to the top of the hilltop cross. The view of the city was spectacular. This is a present day photo, so the city is sadly, much larger and developed; but on the right you can see the town’s center where the cathedral PARROQUIA DE SAN MIGUEL ARCÁNGEL rises above the landscape. I loved it there and loved the classes I took and the friends I made. I was humbled by the Mexican culture and daily way of life centered around family and faith. I have not been back in all these years and am a little afraid that I would not like it as much now that it is commercialized.

I am a truth-seeker in all things, including my art. This might be why I am so drawn to painting portraits. They contain so much truth. There is a divine creator whose artistry in color, design, composition, and fathomless detail, depth, and eternal scope that goes beyond human ability and comprehension. But, I am driven to try.

At a workshop in Chicago with Thomas Schaller, Mr. Schaller (who is primarily an architectural painter) talked about his perspective on painting landscapes and how it seemed to him almost irreverent to try to paint a landscape or a sunset, because after all, how could you improve upon the Master Artist. It’s a great point and he’s right, of course, that artists cannot improve upon creation, but you can’t hang a mountain or a Milky Way on your wall. However, you can hang a Starry Night. So, we enhance our walls with the closest representations we can find. A similar point of view is given by the ancient Georgia Vasari in his “Lives of the Great Artists”.

“I am aware that it is commonly held as a fact by most writers that sculpture as well as painting, was naturally discovered originally by the people of Egypt, and also that there are others that would attribute to the Chaldeans the first rough carvings of statues and the first reliefs. In like manner, there are those that credit the Greeks with the invention of the brush and of coloring. But, it is my opinion, that design, which is the creative principle in both arts, came into existence at the time of the origin of all things. When the most high created the world, and adorned the heavens with shining lights, His perfect intellect passing through the limpid air, lighting on the solid earth formed man. Thus disclosing the first form of sculpture and painting in the charming invention of things.”

Other artists that I have admired and learned from in books and videos include; Zoltan Zabow, Mary Whyte, Tony Couch, John Pike, Stephen Quiller, Mario Robinson, Andrew Wyeth, Billy Showell, and so many others.

My absolute favorite art of all time is that found in the cave paintings of Lascaux and Chauvet,” I say These paintings are often attributed to some religious ceremony or shaman ritual. But, I prefer to think that mankind has always wanted to decorate the walls of their dwellings with beautiful images that are meaningful to them. Imagine living in a cave, with nothing to look at but rock.

Years ago, before the births of my five beautiful children, I painted a few landscapes and told myself I could possibly pursue a career in art. But, once there were children scurrying about, the frustration of keeping little fingers out of the paint and the expensive paint brushes out of the sand and toy boxes, rapidly struck the resounding chord of reality and I took up other artistic endeavors such as cross-stitch and embroidery, French-braiding fine golden hair, sewing frilly pink ballet costumes and later prom dresses; investing my artistic energy and passion in my children, they became my jewels, my gems, my precious stones, my most valued canvases of fine art.

And now here I am. All the children are grown and gone and although they and their children are still a very large part of my life, I now have time to pursue this other thing – painting. Now my children and grandchildren serve as ready subjects for many of my paintings.

I try very hard to paint… whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8