I wasn’t always an artist; showing my work, maintaining a studio, applying for grants, writing proposals for shows is relatively new to me. Yet I now solidly identify as a working professional artist and have an impressive stack of rejections to prove I’m a “real” artist. Recently receiving a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant was a significant recognition of my work and my artistic career.
My first career was teaching art. At 52, I wanted a change from teaching art to others and created a home studio to allow me to transition to making my own art. Investing in the time to create and the space to do it turned out to be the beginning of my path to being a professional artist. It has been a rewarding and challenging journey, along the way discovering deep personal passions, knowing myself, learning and growing, and endless research into how things work.
How could I have known that the girl who made shoes from boxes and sat on a fence beside the barn day dreaming of what was beyond the horizon, would become an artist whose art is inspired by science?
My experience of the immensity of prairie, trying to find an anchor on a sea of waving grasses, seeing clouds and light create shapes and shadows fleeting across the land and sky, led me to explore the science behind these natural phenomena. One thing led to another and soon I was reading physics books to help me understand energy. How fun is this?
What excites me? Seeing people moved by a painting or installation I’ve made. Hearing people tell me one of my paintings touches them. The viewer and maker connecting through a work of art.
One of my greatest pleasures is seeing a person walk out of my studio with a painting they just love. I would welcome a chance to talk with you about how my art can bring you joy- let’s connect!