Portfolio of Works

I love the immediacy of working on this small, compact format. It forces me to let it go earlier, which makes me more efficient with my marks. Then onto the next one.

When I come into my studio I have the time to flesh out a piece and push it in different directions. I can indulge in a way I cannot out in the field. These pieces are both larger oils and larger pastels. The pastels have been started in the field and then I bring them into the studio to sometimes work on them with oil mediums. The larger oils are informed by my plein air practice but are executed in my studio.

Working outside, en plein air, is an essential part of my art practice. It informs everything I do in the studio. There is nothing better than packing all you need into a backpack, hiking off to find that perfect scene that captivates and spending 3 hours in pursuit of that scene. It's what feeds the soul.

My studio pastels are always informed by my plein air practice and my love of being outdoors. I have lived every scene I paint which is an essential part of why I paint in the first place.

I started plein air painting in 2011. I still have my first one. Oils being my primary medium meant it was natural to start there. My husband made me a pochade and we rigged everything up to be able to fit into my backpack. I was set. I can hike anywhere, paint, and bring it safely back to the studio.

These fruit and vegetable studies grew out of a pastel workshop I was teaching to some local veterans. The first study became known as “Dancing Red Onion” and it was a way for me to clarify my teaching process for the workshop. I had so much fun the other studies quickly followed.