My Art Bio....
I'm an artist....
• I'm a fine-art & stock photographer. I specialize in floral, black & white, close-up, landscape, nature, food, still-life, (sub)urban/rural landscape, animals and people & 'pet' portraiture.
• I'm a painter, drawer & designer. I work with watercolor pencils & watercolor, pastels & oils, oil pastels, acrylic, graphite & colored pencils, charcoal, pen & ink, glue & varnish, paper & fabric and computer software & a stylus/tablet.
• I'm a writer concentrating on informative pieces and creative writing.
• I'm also a crafter. My profitable hobbies include floral design, nature crafts, renewing & repurposing vintage items and sewing & making cool things.
I guess you can say that I was "born with a silver crayon in my hand". Creative talent runs in my birth family’s genetics; basically, I was born an artist. I'm always creating something and I constantly want to try some new art form. And I've always been a dreamer – to this day, my imagination and my constant flow of creative ideas sometimes overwhelms me to the point of exhaustion.
Not to sound generic, but – I photograph, paint, draw, design, craft and/or write about whatever sparks my artistic vision – whatever "catches my interest". And even though I do believe that a 'Jack (or Jill) of all trades is a master of none', I just can't bring myself to focus on one particular art form – I would end-up "going bonkers" and become bored stiff in a matter of minutes!
When I was young I was rather shy and quiet – I was more than happy to be the lone wolf, away from the crowd. While other kids got together to play, I would be off by myself; drawing, painting, coloring, sculpting, writing, scribbling or baking & decorating yummy cupcakes. I just needed to create art – whether using a pencil, pen, crayon, maker, camera, glue, glitter, brush or baking pan.
From what I could remember, my interest in the arts, in general, started when I was about 2-years-old. My most treasured birthday and Christmas presents were huge boxes of crayons, packs of markers, tons of colored pencils, droves of watercolors & brushes, glitter & glue and ink pens & pencils – paper, of any sort, was always claimed by me.
From the moment I could take direction, I was helping my grandmother bake homemade apple & blueberry pies, crepes, bread, pizza and more. She also taught me how to crochet and sew; my interest in sewing soon ended when I accidentally put a sewing machine needle through my pinky – ouch! And it was one of those antique, manual sewing machines. My grandmother had to very carefully move the wheel back until the needle came out of my finger; I was 5-years-old, remember it vividly and surprisingly, sat quite still until I was freed. [I'm still traumatized over it – ask my hubby how I act around sewing machines & sewing machine needles; nonetheless, I sew anyway – somewhat cautiously]
I even tried my hand at theatre, and ballet – taking the lead role in a few [grade] school plays, and sharing the [blinding] limelight with other ballerinas. I was also one of those kids that put on shows at home; probably boring my family to tears.
One form of art that I [regretfully] never pursued further was music. I would play (by ear) any organ or piano that was available, and I have always loved to sing (I used anything that resembled a mic – toothbrush, hairbrush, wooden spoon, pencil, etc.). But, alas, after my experiences on stage with my ballet group, my stage fright overcame me and I basically "chickened out" of the band thing – the people, the lights, the….arghhhh. Nonetheless, I'm one Hell of a singer (so I think) in the privacy of my own home or car – or around small groups of people – very small groups of people….that I know.
I entered, and won, my first art contest when I was six (drawing). That same year, my grandparents subscribed to National Geographic Magazine. Every month I would spend hours studying the photographs; with hopes that someday, I'd work with the NGS.
When I was nine I "borrowed" my mom's camera and set out for a few hours to capture everything I possibly could on a snowy winter day. I came back with images of iced-over ponds, quiet fields, snow tipped trees and my dog. I fell in love that day, with photography. Soon after, I discovered Ansel Adams, then Georgia O'Keeffe. My desire was to paint like Georgia O'Keeffe and capture landscapes like Ansel Adams – I settled for an attempt at both, but in my own style.
At thirteen, I had my first art showing (sculpture and paintings). And while still a teenager, I was published for the first time (a poem and a short story). I studied art (photography, painting, graphic art, creative writing) throughout high school and beyond; only taking a short break to raise my daughter (a very talented artist).
As an adult, my work (artwork & writing) has been published nationally & internationally in print magazines such as I Love Cats, National Geographic KIDS, An Honest Tune, High Times, Roots & Wings, Backhome Magazine, The World & I, Keynoter, Hard Hat News, Campersway and more – online at ProgressiveEngineer.com, LeslieWest.com, RiversAndStreams.com, BookStoreCool.com and more. Throughout the years I've had my work displayed in museums, art shows and medium & small businesses. I license my artwork through several stock agencies and I sell products featuring my artwork at my online stores. My writing can be seen at a few, select online sites; and, at times, I still write for various print publications. I tend to stay away from art competitions – I believe that art is in the eye of the beholder and no specific art should be judged. I've worked with other writers & artists, business owners, exotic animals and well-known musicians.
And I continue to create art – whether using a pen, pencil, crayon, marker, camera, typewriter, computer, glue, glitter, brush, baking pan….or toothbrush. :o)
I admire the work of Eric Condida, Casandra M. Secor, Ansel Adams, Galen Rowell, Sam Abell, Jodi Cobb, Joel Sartore, Amanda Jones, Anne Geddes, Annie Leibovitz, Annie Griffiths Belt, Michael "Nick" Nichols, Alois Beer, Art Wolfe, Edward Weston, Georgia O'Keeffe, John Singer Sargent, John William Waterhouse, Joshua Reynolds, Marcel Duchamp, Vincent van Gogh, Alfred Kubin, Norman Rockwell, Alphonse Mucha, Claude Monet, Bram Stoker, Zane Grey, John Saul, Mary Shelley, Christopher Moore, Dian Fossey, Jane Goodall, Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull and more.
