"I went to the animal fair, all the birds and the beasts were there..." These are the opening words of a children's song I learned when I was five. As a child, I loved songs and stories, especially fairy tales. I was particularly drawn to fairy tales that featured animals with magical powers. These paintings are based on characters and symbols from my dreams. The animals and the spaces they inhabit come not only from dreams, but from life events, memories and emotions. Like fairy tales, they often tell stories about times of challenge and transformation.
My work prior to 2019 was acrylic paint on canvas. This work can be seen in the Archived Galleries. I have age-related macular degeneration and have needed to adapt to ongoing changes in my vision. All paintings in the New Work Galleries are oil pastel on paper. Colors are more vivid and outlining is stronger. Instead of painting details, I use layering, texturing, scraping, and mark-making. Now I see with two kinds of vision. The first is somewhat limited vision through my eyes. The second is my mind's eye vision that looks more at an inner world. This results in images that are less complex and more direct.