I have been involved in the arts all my life starting with degrees in history of art (Connecticut College) and architecture (Parsons School of Design, NYC / Wesminster College, London) followed by teaching art and being a fine artist myself. I have lived and studied in the States where I grew up, the UK and Portugal where I now live. Originally an architect I moved into teaching art and design at a British school in Portugal. After retiring from full-time teaching I studied painting and etching which are the media I now concentrate on.
My background in architecture gave me a feeling for design and watercolour sketching in order to visualize for myself and others a design idea regarding building and the environment. As an art teacher and eventually Head of Department I enjoyed teaching the IB (International Baccalaureat)which lead me back into studying fine art. After 10 years of teaching I returned to education and completed a higher degree (Projecto Individual at Ar.Co. – Centro de Arte & Communicação Visual) in Lisbon in 2004 specialising in painting and etching. I am also an IB Visual Arts examiner which gives me a chance to evaluate IB art work and enjoy the stimulation of seeing a good deal of student work.
Some of my work is based on spontaneous drawing and painting usually of landscapes or figures. I particularly enjoy life drawing as a basis for developing artworks including colour aquatints using multiple plates. I also enjoy acrylic painting on paper or canvas and use this medium like watercolour in that I build up transparent layers. I am definitely a figurative painter although I enjoy taking some of my initial impressions into partly abstracted colour studies using mixed media. My painting is often done on site with large brushes and a limited palette. My aim is to capture the mood, movement and colour of the moment. Conversely, printing is a more studied and laborious process which requires more time and preparation. The very different skills required of painting and printing keep me buoyant and keen to find relationships between them. I cannot imagine being a creative artist and not continuing to maintain a dialogue between them.
From 2000-2004 my husband and I ran a painting holiday business at home. This involved running a residential course for amateur artists who came to stay. Following on from this we started a self-catering and B & B business with the option of art courses on the side for guests. I continue to run residential painting and etching courses at home for locals. Much of my time is spent organizing and preparing for exhibitions at galleries in Portugal and the UK.
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