Pastels
In 2010, I changed my medium from watercolor to pastel for awhile. Another medium helped me to see the same Pocono landscape in a new way. In 2016 I began using sanded paper. This paper makes possible many more layers of pastel than watercolor or drawing papers do. I worked with darks, blocking in the composition and later added the lights. I work the reverse in watercolors, going from light to dark. Drawing on the sanded paper, everything can be wiped out and I can begin again if it is not working. Pastels can be blended and layered. Gestures, lines, scribbles are expressive and energetic and express my love of drawing.
Landscapes
Over the years I have painted in the country surrounding my small Pennsylvania county seat. My husband’s family were located in a quiet pretty township in the Poconos. A small lake, Paradise Falls, and four mountain streams passed close by.
Architecture
I grew up in Cincinnati. The city streets and houses along them became my first subjects. I delight in the composition and layering of buildings, roofs, chimneys, steps, and garages with light and shade playing against the shapes.
Flowers
Still life’s, usually with the presence of a bouquet on my table, are a frequent subject. As I eat and look, I become fascinated with the possibility of seeing if I can paint a response that conveys what I saw and felt.