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To Make a Long Story Short... My life as an artist began in a suburban YMCA. Unlike Georgia O'Keeffe, I didn't always know I'd be an artist. Like most kids, I liked to draw and paint, but I spent more time with my nose in a book.
My instructor said, "If the values are right, the color doesn't matter." But color turned out to be my passion, and after several years of studying color, I wrote my first book, Exploring Color. Then I gathered together many of the lessons I used in my classes, researched creativity, and wrote The Creative Artist, and finally, collaborated with Virginia Lee Williams on Creative Collage Techniques. All three books, published by North Light Books, became bestsellers in art instruction, and in September 1998, Exploring Color, Revised was released, completely rewritten, with new art and exercises in color study. In 2000 I self-published Exploring Color Coloring Book, a hands-on color journal and reference book for artists. Eventually I invented a color wheel and began teaching national workshops, writing magazine articles and making videos on color. You cannot imagine how much fun this is, meeting so many interesting people in different places. How did all this came about: what turned a stay-at-home mom into an artist, author and traveling workshop teacher? Just about anything can happen--if you make it happen. "You cannot suit everybody, so you had better suit yourself." William Morris Hunt Artist's Statement The changing light of day and the moods it creates are the foundations of my watercolors. My paintings usually start with a color idea, then evolve into compositions in which color is the primary subject. To me, art is a synthesis of my personal feelings, the subject or colors that inspire me and my materials and techniques. Serenity and simplicity are my primary goals. My goal as a teacher and author is to help other artists achieve their goals. My primary focus is on my students, providing a fun and comfortable environment where they can advance their individual creative skills within an energetic community of artists. Please visit my watercolor gallery, collage gallery and print gallery to see my art. You're welcome to visit My Studio or read My Résumé. And while you're here, take a few minutes to visit my woodland restoration project and wildflower photos. You might also enjoy a tour of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, where I taught in 2003. It's an amazing place.
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