As artist, I am fascinated with the play of shadow and light. The colored backgrounds I paint are made with layers and layers of color. I mix the colors myself and seek a rich dense background on which to display my subjects. I paint mainly still-life and gather my subjects from my surroundings, especially my community farmers market. It offers so many local fruits, flowers and vegetables from which I draw color and inspiration. Recently, I have become interested in painting birds and I now painting the local California birds in our area.
I have drawn since I was a young girl. My family lived in the Philippine Islands and in Northern Africa . My earliest memories were of the markets in the Philippines and the souks in Tangier brimming with life – The people, smells, sounds, and brilliant colors. I walked every street and every neighborhood and they are stamped in my memory like pictures in a photo album. I think the influence of these countries colored my future and provided me with imagery that I use in my paintings today. My watercolors are very graphic and each one has vivid background of color which in turn delineates my images.
I reside in Chico, California, a town that has been hailed as one of the 100 “best art towns” in America by John Vilani. With its university and many great teachers, and so many wonderful local artists, is inspiring town to live in. My work has been shown in Bon Appetit magazine and has been on the cover of Edibles Shasta-Butte. It can also be seen in local art galleries as well as the Brooks Museum in Memphis, TN.
My newest calling has been as a grandmother. Therefore a new aside to my work is paintings for children’s rooms. These are available by commission as is any of my other work.