Being an artist was something I never imagined for myself. Whether a concern over financial security, fear of failing, or an inability to seize the moment; becoming an artist remained a private “What if?” for me. It might have remained so if my husband had not given me a set of oil paints on my sixtieth birthday. That gift was the beginning of a braver self.
Before that turning point in my life, I was a florist. Working with flowers taught me how to structure the elements of color, form, and texture, using natural materials. At some point along the way, I stepped outside the expected flower arranging formulas and began exploring ways to excite the eye and beckon a second look.
The real journey of my life began upon my retirement from the flower shop. I signed up for Artist’s Network TV as an economical and safe place to see how far my interest would take me. Through that and the help and encouragement from both my husband and my dear friend, Helene Keter, I gained the basic concepts and started to gain the confidence I needed to enter local gallery shows. After successfully getting into three shows, I sensed that there was more to be learned outside of the internet and began searching for a teacher.
The search bore fruit almost immediately, bringing me into the world of Camille Przewodek and the Plein Air Movement. I had no concept of the road I was embarking on and I had no idea how special Camille is to the Plein Air community. There was something mystical about falling into this new universe called Plein Air painting with its unique idea of painting a moment in time.
