I want to tell you about myself through my art, photos, hobbies, writings, family, pets and so much more. I have always believed
that everyone has at least a touch of art talent. Some people show it naturally and some may need help to
bring it out.
As an artist, I don't remember a time when I didn't draw, paint or
design to some degree. My mother was an accomplished artist, so I was always in contact with the art world. My
parents started "The Golden Triangle Artist" group in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1940's. I was a part of that group
for over 15 years until it closed.
The first art work I ever sold was a watercolor of two horse heads
when I was 17. The first woodcarving I sold was a large Merry-go-Round wall piece a few years later. I've
sold mostly freelance at exibitions and through personal contacts.
One of my long standing clients in the middle 60's was a man who
owned a small chain of fast food chicken restaurants in Pgh. This was many years before KFC came along.
Mr. A. had a lot of store window space on a busy downtown Pittsburgh street and a love for our city and art. I
painted very large plywood pictures of our city, past and present to line the lower half of each window. He proudly
displayed my art so others could enjoy them. Because I always carried a camera I can show some of these paintings
in this site. I also did special wall paintings for his new home. These requested hangings consisted of
a variety of subjects including old history scenes, florals and my personal favorite a 36" x 48" oil titled " The Mills
of Pittsburgh". All my paintings in these years I did at home between being a working wife and mother
of six children.
Harvey (my husband of 57 yrs) and I didn't start out to be art working
partners, it just evolved over time. In order for me to spend more time painting, he began to make the frames and
other essentials to help me make successful art presentations. Years passed,
five of our children married and we moved to Florida with the youngest boy, age 13, in 1979. We had lived in Pittsburgh
for 50 years and were now about to start a new life hundreds of miles away in Florida. We sold everything or just
gave it away. Pulling a five foot trailer with a few things we just couldn't part with, we started out on our new
venture.
Five years later when our last chiId entered the University
of South Florida (USF) college in Tampa, I entered St. Petersburgh Junior College (SPJC), in Clearwater. This
was 35 years after graduating from Perry High School . I earned my Associate Arts (AA) degree in Fine Arts
with a 3.7 average. This was a great accomplishment for me, something I had always dreamed of doing. I feel that
you can never be too smart and there is always room for more knowledge. After
graduation from SPJC, I taught soft sculpture doll making off campus at a local area high
school for the college. Fabric dolls were in demand when the Cabbage Patch Dolls were "in". For more info
on the dolls see "Soft Sculpture".
After graduation I worked for Suncoast Arts & Crafts in Florida
as it's art director/designer/buyer for five years before we moved to our Georgia residence and retired for the first time
in 1992. Did I say retirement? The art goes on......for both of us........
