Nature has intrigued me since I was a young child in Massachusetts. My love and curiosity of the natural world has inspired me to try and capture its inherent beauty in some artistic form. I was always more comfortable with trees and fields than I was with people.
I was a shy child who enjoyed the company of my pencils and paint more than I enjoyed friends. I was always punished in school for drawing. I avoided studies in parochial school because I was always told what to write, read, and draw. My style never fell into any category and I was punished for thinking outside of the box. I was told I would never sell anything and that I should learn to be a secretary – women artists were rare. I decided that I would follow my own path and suffer the consequences.
After an unimpressive high school and junior art college experience I decided to pursue a career in commercial art while trying to make it in the “art world.” I was a successful graphic artist long before Photoshop. I worked for several prominent high-end magazines before I had my first real success as an artist. Thankfully, I had a husband who was supportive. I sold my paintings and sketches off and on while I designed advertising campaigns.
In 1988, I was hired by Eyvind Earle, a noted Disney artist, as an assistant serigrapher for his Monterey, CA studio. While there I had the opportunity to learn all facets of fine art serigraphy as well as oil painting. In 1989 I left Earle’s Studio to embark on my own art career.
My husband (a serigrapher too) and I began our association with Chris Lewis Fine Art. I learned commercial art production, gallery presentation, and the complex task of marketing art both wholesale and retail. I became aware that there were many hands between the artist and the collector – making art often unaffordable. Furthermore, it was apparent that female artists were not held in high esteem. Although, I was told I was talented and marketable; I initially was asked to use my initials on my work so that my collectors would not know I was a woman. I was told that collectors were less likely to pay premium prices for art created by a woman. I cringed at the idea but agreed to the demands to support myself.
After two years of agency representation, I decided that I could not, in good conscience, continue to allow someone else to market and distribute my art. So, with the support of my husband, we created our own publishing company to publish and distribute my art.
During the years which followed the release of my first three serigraph editions, I proved my skills as a female printmaker and artist. I have won several awards solely as a female artist in printmaking and oil painting. In the last 30 years, I have produced and sold over 800 originals, created, and sold over 50 print editions. My work has been collected extensively by both private and corporate collectors. Yet, my most important achievement is that I have proved that a female artist can be successful and can provide quality art to anyone and everyone who wants to own it!
