About the Artist:
I like to define myself as a free-style artist as I love all things creative.
I was born and raised in northern New Jersey where I had many opportunities to visit the museums of NYC. How they inspired me! I then went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in art and education, and a Master’s of Liberal Learning, (yes, a MA.L.L, degree), with concentrations in studio art/art history and art education from Marietta College, Marietta, OH, where I stayed for more than 30 years. While in Ohio, I married, raised a family and taught art until my retirement many years ago. And I received awards for both my teaching and artistic endeavors.
After moving to SC more than 17 years ago, and soon joining the Crooked Creek Art League, I knew I had found my new home. Since then I have served the league in many capacities, became a signature member of the SC Watermedia Society, and won numerous awards from the league (16), the SC State Fair art exhibit, Fairfield County’s Art Guild shows and the Columbia Museum of Art, Design League’s Runaway Runway recycled trashion shows.
Living life as an art teacher, I was continuously exposed to, and engaged in, many media and styles of art, and have always enjoyed the freedom to be creative and experiment artistically. Lately I have been working in mixed media and collage, but I also enjoy drawing, watercolors, pastels and acrylics. And my great granddaughters are such delightful muses!!! For me, art and life just naturally go hand in hand and SC is giving me a wonderful new, creative palette to explore and enjoy!
About the Artwork:
Tobi, the Not So Typical Turtle
My inspiration for “Tobi, the Not So Typical Turtle”/Cozy Mosey came from a pair of turtle salt and pepper shakers that was given to me after moving to Chapin on the lake. They actually had a yellow flower on the shell! So I decided to make Tobi’s yellow flower the popular sunflower, and filled the remaining space with palm trees. Then I added a panoramic view of the lake on the body. Since using Paris craft and dipping cheese cloth into acrylic paint worked so well on both my sailboat and trail marker to create texture, I wanted to continue that on Tobi as well. And went even further by turning the shell into a “quilt” top! After all, Chapin is a cozy, creative town.