Bio
After a hiatus of over 30 years, I have taken up watercolor painting again. My reintroduction came during a transatlantic crossing on board the Queen Mary 2. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the mental stimulation of trying to control pigment and water. Arriving home I enrolled in watercolor classes at Marie Selby Gardens as I knew without the discipline of a class and support of other would-be artists I would not improve nor continue.
I am now a member of a group of watercolor artists who meet once a week locally under the instruction of Carolyn Merenda.
Art in the Park 2020 was the first time I had ever exhibited any of my work. I found it exhilarating and nerve racking in equal measure, but the support of the other artists was fantastic.
The pandemic years were difficult in that, in person classes were not possible, however the creation of a studio space in my home and the availability of online tuition kept me painting until I could resume our weekly group meetings. Once classes restarted I noticed almost immediately the benefits of painting within a group; it pushes you outside of your comfort zone, you have to tackle subjects that if left to your own devices you would avoid, thus you grow. I may not be pleased with some of the outcomes, but with some subjects a lightbulb suddenly goes on and a new technique or color understanding is learned. I find such enjoyment in pushing the boundaries of what I can achieve with a piece of paper, a brush, a few pigments and water.
