Member Biography

ARTIST STATEMENT

"My work over time has moved from figurative imagery - human face and form - to a more abstract pursuit of ideas. While drawing is still my first love, these ideas seem to require me to let go of that control. It is a fitting metaphor for the current phase of my life. For several years I have worked in series. My Genesis Series of figurative work, the Resurrection Series, and the Creation Series all explore themes based on my interest in faith and meaning.

My recent work I call my Transformation Series.  Even though I have drawn in various media and worked extensively in watercolor and printmaking, after an extended period away from my studio during the final illness and death of my husband, I was at a loss as to where to begin again. 

I had thought to deal with “brokenness”. I began by exploring old watercolors that I had kept because there was something about them that I liked - color, texture, line.  I tore them up to make collages, and then used encaustic - a wax medium - to give another dimension to the work.  It was a very freeing exercise and sparked my dormant creativity. Ultimately, I felt that “transformation” was a better title for the series as the old work transformed into something entirely different with a new life of its own.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

2010

• Women Painters of Washington Gallery, Seattle, WA

2009

• Museum of Northwest Art Auction, LaConner, WA

2008

• WPW Member Show, Mercer Island, WA

2007

• Museum of Northwest Art Auction, LaConner, WA
  
• Gifts of the Spirit, First Presbyterian church, Portland, OR
• West Coast Paper Exhibition, Kirsten Gallery, Seattle, WA
• Women Painters of Washington Gallery, 5th and Columbia, Seattle, WA

2006

• Works of Faith, First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR
• Abstracted Landscapes, Gallery at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts, Winslow, WA

2005

• Celebration, Women Painters of Washington Gallery, 5th and Columbia, Seattle, WA
• Eastside Association of Fine Arts Exhibits, Kirkland and Bellevue, WA (1989 -2004)
  awards ‘04,‘01,‘00, ‘99, ‘96, ‘91
• Edmonds Art Festival, Edmonds, WA, award- third place, prints
• An Enduring Legacy: Women Painters of Washington, 1930 - 2005, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
• Works of Faith, and Gifts of the Spirit, First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR

2004

• Puget Sound Country Art Exhibition, Kirsten Gallery, Seattle, WA

2003

• Gifts of the Spirit, Invitational Exhibit, First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR
• WPW at Harbor Gallery, Gig Harbor, WA, Patsy Suhr O’Connell, Juror (first place)
• ArtsWest Gallery, Women Painters of WA, Peggy Weiss Juror, Seattle, WA
• Puget Sound Country Art Exhibition, Stillwater Gallery, Seattle WA (also 2002, award)
• Women Painters at University House Wallingford, Seattle, WA award

2002

• Bellevue Art Museum, Rental/Sales Gallery, Bellevue, WA
• Bishop Hotel, Port Townsend, WA solo show
• Art Port Townsend, Port Townsend, WA (also 2001)
• Edmonds Arts Festival, Edmonds, WA award - second place, prints
• Women Painters of WA at Childhood’s End Gallery, Olympia, WA peoples’ choice award

2001

• Puget Sound Country, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA (also 2000, ‘99)
• Arte Sagrado, Concordia University at Austin, Austin, TX (also 1999 purchase award)

2000

• New Century, New Work, Art Center, Seattle Pacific University, two person show
• Women in Print - Ireland and America, Art Center Gallery, Seattle Pacific University, WA
• Northwest Watercolor Society 60th Anniversary Exhibition, Frye Museum, Seattle, WA
• Millennium Images, WPW, WA State Convention Center, Seattle, WA
• 20th Annual Northwest International Art Competition, Whatcom Museum, Bellingham, WA
• Beyond Beginnings, Women Painters of WA, Edmonds CC, Edmonds, WA award
• Works of Faith, Portland First Presbyterian Church, Portland, OR (also ‘99) awards
• Koinonia, Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, ID

1999

• Millennium Images - Kuwait and America, Ahmed Al-Adwah Gallery, Kuwait City KUWAIT
• Fresh Air, Women Painters of WA , Issaquah, WA award
• Millennium Images - Ireland and America - Galway, Omagh, Belfast IRELAND

1998

• Figure It Out, Figurative Invitational, The Pratt Gallery at CoCA, Seattle, WA
• Creative Women Make Art, Art Center Gallery at Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA
• Puget Sound Country, Washington State Trade & Convention Center, Seattle, WA
• Sacred Arts XVIII, Billy Graham Center Museum, Wheaton College, Wheaton , IL

1997

• Kado Tea Garden, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Seattle, WA
• NW Watercolor Society Invitational, Maryhill Museum, Goldendale, WA
• Puget Sound Country, West Coast Paper Company, Kent, WA
• Things to Think On, The Merrick Free Art Gallery, New Brighton, PA
• Sacred Arts XVII, Billy Graham Center Museum, Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL

1996

• Celebrating the Spirit, Streff Gallery, Shoen Library, Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, OR
• Pacific Gallery Artists, Tacoma, WA (also ‘91, ‘90, ‘89) award ‘90

1995

• Puget Sound Country, Moss Bay Gallery, Kirkland, WA
• Artsplash ‘95, Redmond, WA (also ‘94)
• Beaverton Arts Showcase ‘95, Beaverton, OR (also ‘94)

1984 - 1994

• Waterworks ‘94, NWWS Juried Members Show, Mercer Island, WA
• Strokes of Genius ‘93, Scottsdale Artists School, Scottsdale, AZ
• Annual Figurative Small Works Exhibit, The Armory Art Center, West Palm Beach, FL
• Eastern Washington Watercolor Society, Richland, WA
• Northwest Pastel Society National Open, Issaquah, WA (also ‘91, ‘90)
• Pastel Society of Oregon, 5th National Juried Show, Roseburg, OR
• The Human Figure in Art, Chemeketa Community College, Salem, OR
• Pastels, Pastels, Indigo Gallery, Lake Oswego, OR
• The American Artists Professional League, Inc., 63rd Grand National, New York, NY
• Aqueous Open ‘91, Pittsburgh Watercolor Society, Pittsburgh, PA
• Drawing 1990, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT (also 1989)
• Northwest Watercolor Society Open, Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue, WA

EDUCATION

• Fine Arts Major, Seattle Pacific University
• Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle, WA
• Study and workshops with Jeanne Stauffer Beaudry, Karen Guzak, Alex Powers, Catherine Chang Liu, Erica Grimm-Vance, Barbara Fugate

• Northwest Watercolor Society (Signature Member, Past President)
• Women Painters of Washington
• CIVA - Christians in the Visual Arts

• City of Edmonds, WA
• Concordia University, Austin, TX
• Fury Bailey, Seattle, WA
• Harris Bank/Bank of Montreal Chicago, IL
• Safeco, Redmond, WA
• Secretary General of the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters, KUWAIT

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