A shy quiet girl, I found a friendship with art instead of people. My mother saw the talent early and took me to private art lessons with Philip Ratner. He helped me learn to use texture and paint with a palette knife. I had a show in The Art Shop in Silver Spring, MD at the age of 12, which was favorably reviewed by the Washington Post.
Thinking that a career in art was for me, I applied to Cooper Union. Amazingly, I was accepted. My art education came not only from this great school, but also from living in the lower east side in the wild 60’s. I developed a love for the city and all of the great characters and neighborhoods. NYC is the best place to get an art education in the world.
I tried unsuccessfully to get a job in art. There wasn’t a niche for me and I didn’t want to be told how to do art. I used my creativity to make crafts and became one of the first San Francisco street artists. I invented jewelry using wood and sea urchin spines and patented “puppet caps”, ( the baseball caps with flapping wings, etc).
For most of my later adult life, I struggled with earning a living and raising two terrific kids. Art had to be only a vision and a way of viewing the world in form, color and texture that helped me cope. My inner artist always came out though in decorating, crafts, gardening, designing my own clothes and set design.
Now I finally have a studio and have joyfully started making art for myself. First, I painted highly textured landscapes, then rediscovered my love of sculpture and portraiture. My art uses unconventional mediums and a different way of presenting portraits. I have made 3D portraits of presidents,(George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln), artists, ( Van Gogh, Picasso and Mary Cassatt) and celebrities (John Lennon, Sarah Bernhardt and Laurel and Hardy. I am able to immerse myself in the person’s life and try to project my passion for him or her in my work. It is as much fun to do as it is to see.
