Florida Artists Group

Artists Bio:

I was born in Arlington, Virginia and have been interested in art all of my life.  My family and I went to the museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. throughout my childhood.  Although I spent a lot of time outside playing with friends, my “downtime” was spent drawing and absorbing visual art by studying the Art History section of the family encyclopedia, and the photographs in LIFE Magazine.  I studied images of every kind, from children’s books to advertisements. 

I was actively involved in art in high school, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia.  From there, I moved out to San Francisco where I worked as a fine art picture framer, art handler and gallery assistant for Crown Point Press and other galleries. I was also actively involved in the San Francisco art community as a board member and exhibition curator for A.R.E Gallery, an NEA endowment recipient.

I received my Master of Fine Arts in Painting from San Francisco State University, after which I and my husband and son moved to Florida.  Soon I was an adjunct professor at Daytona Beach Community College, where I worked for ten years. During this time I earned my teaching certification in Art and taught for Volusia County Schools for twenty-two years. During these years I had a second child and gradually found time to make art.  I retired 2 ½ years ago, and during this time I have strengthened my art practice in the studio almost daily.  I have had four solo shows and participated in numerous group shows during this time. I am a member of the Art League of Daytona Beach and Beaux Arts of Central Florida.
I am currently preparing for Chalk Hill, an artists’ residency program in Sonoma County, California. I am working on six canvases, which I am beginning here in Florida, and finishing in California. My concept involves a bicoastal vision of America. This is discussed in more detail in my artist statement. 

Artist Statement:

My artistic influences are often rooted in historical experiences.  When I was young, my mother would always share with me her childhood experiences in Depression era rural America. With this, she sparked my ability and interest in visualizing her stories. My work, especially over the last 10 years, has gone through a transformation that started with a sensibility for American Regionalism to a search for significance in my present surroundings. I’m not concerned with realism or traditional approaches to landscape painting. Rather, I find an abstract composition in the landscape, and often use surrealist devices such as transparency, juxtaposition, and transformation to suggest a narrative.

Most recently, I spent a year exploring and photographing Green Springs Park and the nearby Rail Trail, a bike trail that will eventually run from Gemini Springs to Titusville, following the old Florida Railway track. I did a series of 18 paintings of the springs and its tangle of native plant growth, thinking that transforming the natural world into balanced artworks was enough.  However, in exploring some locations as starting points for paintings, I inevitably find myself researching its history.  This was when I learned about a town called Garfield. It was an African American settlement founded by free slaves buried in the dense undergrowth near Green Springs and trail.  The story of this town was passed through three or four generations by word of mouth. This was a neglected part of local history. I realized that to find the heart of Green Springs and the town of Garfield, and express it through my paintings I would have to dig deeper. Presently, I am working on preliminary drawings to prepare for paintings about this place shrouded in kudzu and mystery.

I am currently preparing for Chalk Hill, an artists’ residency program in Sonoma County, California. I am working on six 48x36” canvases, the groundwork for which I am beginning here in Florida, and finishing in California. My concept involves time and the power of place. The initial paintings have their roots in Garfield and Green Springs.  During my two weeks in California this December, I will complete the paintings as I respond to the Sonoma County landscape and its native history.   What I envision is a layered view through time and place. 

Exhibitions:

Upcoming: Artist’s Residency and exhibition, Chalk Hill, Healdsburg, Ca. Dec., 2019
Group show, Beaux Arts of Central Florida.  Orlando Public Library, Main Branch, Orlando, Fl
Native Boundaries, Solo show, The Casements, Ormond Beach, Florida. 2019.
Volusia County and Other Places, solo show, Deland City Hall Chambers and Lobby, Deland, Florida, 2019
Creatures Great and Small theme exhibit, Art League of Daytona Beach, Florida. 2019. Merit Award.
Brush and Palette Members’ Show, Art League of Daytona Beach, Florida.  2019
Member’s Show, Art League of Daytona Beach, Florida. 2019
Black and White theme exhibit, Art League of Daytona Beach, Florida 2018
 Member’s show, The Art League of Daytona Beach 2018, Florida. Judge’s Choice award: Green Springs III
Solo show: The Act of Leaving. 2017The Hub on Canal, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, pARTners: teachers and students exhibit together.  Harris House Gallery/Atlantic Center for the Arts. 2017
Frosted: group exhibition. The Hub on Canal. 2016
Paint Strong Orlando, Orlando Public Library, 2016
The Hub on Canal, Exhibiting Artist, 2015-16
Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, Deland, Florida, 2015
Gallery Flux, Ashland, Virginia juried exhibition, 2014
Gateway Center for The Arts, Member's show, 2014
Daytona Art League, Member’s show, 2014
Daytona Art League, Member’s show, 2013
Deland Fall Festival of the Arts, Educator’s Exhibit,  2013
West Side Story, with Martin Hurtado, Peabody Auditorium, 2013
Applaud that Woman, group show, Florida Museum for Women Artists, 2013
Debary City Hall, solo show, 2012
Teachers Hang it Up, Four Volusia County Art Educators, Peabody Auditorium, 2012
River Springs Middle School Library, solo show, 2011
Annual Art Teacher’s Exhibit: Daytona Art League, 2009; Art Haus, 2010-2014, 2018
Deland Fall Festival of the Arts, 1994
Daytona Beach Community College, West Campus, solo show, 1994
MFA Thesis Show, San Francisco State University/Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse, San Francisco, 1991
Group show, San Francisco State University, Stephen Stillwell Scholarship Exhibition, 1989
Café Francisco, solo show, 1987
A.R.E. Gallery, group show with Karyn Yandow and Rachel Orkin, 1984

Professional Organizations:

Beaux Arts of Central Florida, (current)
The Art League of Daytona Beach, (current)
The Hub on Canal (2015-2018)

Education:

MFA
San Francisco State University,
​San Francisco, California
BFA 
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
CV 1980-2019
 Full time Artist, 2017-2019
Art Educator, Volusia County Schools, 1995-2017
Adjunct Professor, Daytona Beach Community College, 1993-2003
Gallery Assistant Director, Curator, A.R.E. Gallery, San Francisco, Ca. 1980-1984
Gallery Assistant, Daniel Weinberg Gallery,  San Francisco, Ca., 1983-1985
Archival Framer, Crown Point Press, Oakland, Ca., 1980-1984