I have always had a strong need to create.  When I was young, my favorite Christmas gift was a new box of crayons. How disappointing it would have been for Santa to have forgotten those crayons!  The smell can still make me terribly nostalgic.

I went to Lowell University and then The School of the Worcester Art Museum (MA) after high school.  Upon graduation I took a job in commercial art, staying in this field for 10 years.  The need to be meticulous as a commercial artist has left its mark in the attention I put into the details of my watercolors.

The technique used in my painting is called glazing.  It is the build-up of many transparent layers of paint.  The layering builds depth and texture.  As layers build, things become more detailed & defined and values deepen.  I put a lot of time into planning and preperation, especially for larger pieces.  Buy the time I transfere my drawing to the watercolor paper it is refined and composition issues have been resolved.  Color selections are made ahead of time and I do a sheet of color notes; mixing and glazing, making sure the colors I have chosen will give me what I want (I try to limit my color selection to 6).  All colors and mixtures are labeled on these notes so I can pick up where I left off if I do not work on the piece for a while, usually I have several paintings going at once.  I keep all my color notes and sketches, refering to them at times for new paintings.

I like painting flowers and cats the most but will do other subjects once in a while for a break. I have also done some portrait work which I found to be extremely satifying. My favorite part of the painting is putting in the detail.  

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and passion for watercolor with others.  I have been teaching a watercolor class two times a week at the local Michael's Arts & Crafts for almost 4 years now.  In fact it was one of my students who told me about ACEO (Thank you!). 

I live with my two teenage children and 3 cats (yes, the ones I have been painting).  I make my living as an Artist, taking a wide variety of creative jobs to make ends meet.  At present I am working on a children's book about my cats.  Some of the ACEO cat cards I have listed where done as thumbnails for the larger paintings which will go in the book.

I hope you enjoy my work and I thank you for your interest.