I started drawing at a very early age. I could sit for hours with a pad of paper and draw things from my imagination. I never had formal lessons as a child, but I knew I would make art part of my life. When I entered 7th grade, I attended Girls' Latin School, which was close to the Fenway. I was able to frequently walk to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. In school, I sometimes got detention for doodling — or sketching my teachers. Little did they know that this was beneficial for a student who had a hard time sitting still!
As an adult, I took lessons in oil, pastel, and watercolors. I painted when I was raising my two children, but found no time when I returned to teaching. Thus, I became a summer artist. I admired the work of Lee Bean, a water colorist who lived in Oxford, and I was thrilled when she accepted me as a student in the summer months. When Fred and I retired and moved to Waterford, I joined Lee's group again, and for many years we all met once a week to paint.
I am inspired by the beauty of all the areas of Maine. I paint mostly from photos I have taken. With watercolors, I find that I have a difficult time with the constant changing of light in the outdoors. I think that watercolor is the most difficult of the three mediums I have used. There is no painting over a mistake. However, it is the medium I enjoy the most. I joined Gallery 302 in Bridgton 19 years ago and have sold many originals and giclee prints over the years.
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