My love of art started in grade school when I discovered I could draw. At 10, I received an oil painting set, and an amateur artist was born. Aspiring to design clothes, I received a full scholarship to NYU in the art department, but my parents deemed it inappropriate for me to live and study in Greenwich Village. So I placed my art career on hold... for 40 years. I married and raised three children, relocating many times as my husband pursued his career in the Nuclear Industry and I pursued mine as an Independent Sr. Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. My Mary Kay work, making women look and feel better about themselves, helped satisfied my creative instincts.

Six years ago the Brigantine CER offered a watercolor class with well known artist Maggie Ott. Intrigued with the idea of painting again and hoping that the time was right, I signed up for the class, even though I always thought that my medium would be either charcoal or pen and ink. I truly enjoyed painting and drawing again, but watercolor, well... maybe. It is a medium that has its own mind and is not easily controlled, but overtime I grew to love it. I love the challenge -- every day is different -- every painting unique unto itself. I also love the luminosity of the watercolors and how the light reflects in landscapes, on the water and on the petals of flowers. My joy is painting what I love most -- the beach and its dunes and snow fences, the ocean, and flowers, odd combinations but all God's work. I often use my camera for reference photos.

I continued to study with Maggie not only at the North School but also in her workshops at the Ocean City Arts Center. From that new beginning, I went on to study drawing using charcoal and pastels with the late Michael Weldon and award winning local artist Jackie Boyd. However, watercolor drew me back and I studied with Sr. Celeste Mokrzycki, again at the North School. Presently, I'm studying with Kim Weiland, Signature Member ASMA, in Ocean City, and I'm a member of the Cape May County Art League. A new journey has begun. With great anticipation, I look forward to the adventure in each new day and in each new painting.