What sparked your interest in painting?
I had been a ceramic artist for many years and also did counted cross stitch as a
hobby for many years. I had stopped in a local craft shop back in 1997 to get
cross stitch supplies and happened to see a beautiful display of decorative
painting by a local artist, Pat Smith, who was offering beginner acrylic classes. I
was mesmerized by the detail of the stroke work and the different designs she
had painted that I immediately signed up. I was fortunate to take classes with Pat
for several years, learning so much about the decorative painting world. I was
also introduced to HOOT by some of my classmates, and jumped at the chance to
join both SDP and HOOT at the 2000 Convention.
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Do you remember the first piece you painted?
My first piece was a cute little puppy, holding a sign that said Wipe Your Paws at
the beginner class. Learning how to basecoat and float was definitely a new
experience. But that one piece got me hooked. I now display that in our RV and
every time I see it, I can’t help but think of this wonderful journey I have been on.
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What are your favorite surface, medium and subject to paint?
I have taken many classes to expand my knowledge and I enjoy acrylic, oil, fabric
painting, colored pencil and water color. My favorite subjects are birds and
flowers, but I also enjoy painting Betty Caithness designs because of her intricate
details and layering the many colors of acrylic paint with an oil overglaze and
antique finish. And painting large canvases in oil from teachers like Dorthy Dent
and Robert Warren really pushed me. Mixing oil from a limited pallet with Cheri
Rol gave me a better understanding of color theory.
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Is there a project you still want to tackle?
I like to challenge myself and when I see a pattern that is very detailed I push
myself to work through the design. I remember Pat Smith telling me in those
beginning classes that I was a ‘picky painter’, which meant that I was focused on
always doing my best work and not signing it until I was completely satisfied with
the outcome. Having had so many different teachers over the years that I have
learned from, I realized that I took a little bit from each one and developed my
own style. And I like to share my knowledge with other new painters and
encourage them to experience different mediums and subjects so they can see
there is so much to decorative painting, and to never be afraid to try something
new.
