Artist Statement: Fashion and design inspire me. My mother was an artist, fashion illustrator, and seamstress. She made all our clothes, even coats and hats. So I grew up in a creative environment of painting, drawing, and sewing, amidst a sea of fabrics, patterns, and colors. It seems that all of this has made its way into my work as a professional artist. I see the figure as my creative voice, and I use the language of color, line, and composition. Sketchbooks of figure drawings and fashion are everywhere in my studio, and I sketch every day. I enjoy taking one of my fashion drawings and elevating it into a fine art painting. I usually have an idea of what I want to paint when I begin a new piece, but I also like to allow the painting to take me where it wants to go. I paint with modeling paste, oil, and acrylics, using spatulas, brushes, and palette knives. My works on paper are evidence of my love for line drawings and pen and ink, particularly fashion illustrations from the 1940’s and 50’s. Each painting is a part of me, expressing what I’m feeling at the time. I’m inspired by fashion, but the result is more about the emotion. Artist Background: My dream was always to be an artist. With encouragement from my mother, I began formal art classes at age 11, studying under Pittsburgh’s legendary art teacher, Joseph Fitzpatrick, whose list of famous students include Andy Warhol. Four years later, I was awarded a scholarship to Carnegie-Mellon University’s fine arts program for high school students. Over the years I’ve continued to study, primarily concentrating on the human figure. After being diagnosed with a chronic illness in the 1990’s and being forced to leave my job, it was my passion for figure drawing and painting that gave me hope and a new life. I have been represented by fine art galleries for the past twenty years and my work is collected internationally. My husband and I both have studios in our home in Roswell, Georgia.