Creative Support

About

Art is a sustaining force in my life. It is a pleasure to experiment and discover unusual ways to employ materials to make unique mixed media artworks! I feel especially gratified to create something out of leftovers and junk. I look at the world through a lens of color, texture, and personal meaning. Nature, an offbeat idea or found object, personal stories of caring acts, current events, significant memories and my family and friends all inspire me to create reflections of my imaginings.

I love teaching simple art-making approaches to folks in my community so that they, too, can become excited with endless creative possibilities. It is a joy to watch self-described “uncreative” types delight in the realization that they are creative after crafting their own unique art works using the methods that I have taught them.

My goal is to continue my art exploration, exhibit my work, and offer classes to people of all ages and abilities.



Accomplishments

  • 2005 - 2006  - Acrylic painting, “Urban Summer,” published in the St. Louis Park 2005-2006 City Calendar
  • July 2005  - First started offering art classes in my home art studio and other locations
  • July 2005  - 4 week exhibit: Café Tempo, South Minneapolis (12 pieces)
  • May 2004  - Led a Mother-Daughter art activity (80 participants) using paints, beads, wire and photo stands
  • January - February 2004  - Six week exhibit “Experiments in Play” large display (22 pieces) of watercolor, acrylic, collage and mixed media, and sculpture at First Universalist Gallery in Minneapolis
  • February 2004  - Led an Intergenerational Community Art Experience-Mixed media collaged boxes
  • March 2003  - Led a printing and painting weekend workshop for 60 women of all ages and abilities

Training

  • 2006 Paula Roland - Encaustic Painting/Collage  - Methods to apply encaustic paint. Techniques in layering, scumbling, scraping, dripping and glazing. Paper and substrate selection. Safety issues with encaustic equipment and materials.
  • 2006 Paula Roland - Encaustic Printmaking  - Additive and subrtractive processes of printmaking and use of blocking, masking and texture. Use of tools, brushes, papers and encaustic equipment. Safety considerations.
  • 2004 Jan Hartley Wise – A Temple of Spirit  - Focus: Built a three-dimensional structure using mat board, foam core, paste paper, paints, found and natural objects, wire, and beads, based on personal symbols discovered through reflections and meditations.
  • 2004 David Rickert - Making Color Sing  - Focus: Color principles and theory, mixing acrylic colors; grays, dark and light shades. Painting for value and shadows.
  • 2003 Michael Kareken - The Foundations of Drawing  - Focus: Still life, life portrait, perspective and landscape drawing. Techniques: shading and cross-hatching for value and contrast, contour line drawing. Selection and use of drawing papers, charcoal and drawing pencils and erasers, pen and ink.
  • 2002 Krista Kelley Walsh - Drawing in Color  - Focus: Color theory, color references, layering, sgraffito, and shading. Use of materials: colored pencil, soft pastels, oil pastels and wax crayon.
  • 2001 Gerald Allen - Creating Your Future  - Developed a strategic plan to be more creative in making time for art. Learned time management principles, problem solving, priority setting, and life goal planning.
  • 2000 Linda Lomahaftewa - Painting Through Collage  - Focus: Learned how to use gesso, gels, mediums, acrylics, large brushes, putty knives, cloth and paper and how to incorporate found objects, words, photo images, newspaper, and magazine clippings into the design.
  • 1993 Cheng Kee Chee – Watercolor Painting  - Focus: Brush and paper selection, types of watercolor paints and brush strokes. Methods: wet on wet, dry brushing, layering, washes, uses of paint mediums, masking, using improvisational techniques and approaches: crinkling, marbling, mono printing, splatter, and other watercolor techniques.