Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in lovely New Jersey, my sensibility could be called “East Coast Mid-Century.” Thanks to my mother, frequent trips were made to NYC to take in cultural activities which were, and still are, deeply ingrained and appreciated. I cannot remember a time when a writing/drawing utensil was not in my hand – I was delighted by the illustrations of Sir John Tenniel, the work of Aubrey Beardsley and Al Capp and actually wanted to work for Disney based on the beauty of the old, hand-drawn animated features. That aspiration quickly dissipated after I was given a Disney Animation Kit one holiday season and realized that I lacked the patience and precision to draw the same thing over and over again.
I drew all through school and in college, began painting with acrylics. Other than two art classes at Emerson College, I am self-trained. In the 80’s, I started working in collage and then began to combine collage and acrylics. Later I started working in decoupage on boxes, furniture and other objects. In the 50’s, television and I were very young and I was glued to the magic screen in our house. The nostalgia present in my work is a nod to the corniness of that era which still holds a sweet place in my heart. I have used my art to express humor, irony and cannot resist a bit of kitschiness. Over the years I have had the pleasure of using my artistic abilities in various workplaces and have sold pieces through bookstores, gift shops and craft fairs. My favorite job was creating two large murals for a restaurant in Norfolk, VA. Having lived in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Israel, Virginia and California, I am happily ensconced in beautiful New Mexico with my furry children and feel no need to relocate.
Artist Statement
From a very young age, the ability to draw provided a welcome escape from family dynamics and the tedium of conventional education. In addition to enjoying the product of my efforts, the mechanics of drawing helped me to stay focused in school and later, at work. Working as a facilitator and teacher, I understood students who drew as I taught and, as long as they were able to answer questions, I never chided them for drawing. The inspirations for drawing came from various sources – I was attracted to comic books, comic strips, illustrations as well as to people, nature and animals. To this day, a pencil is my favorite tool.
Amongst other things, art has shown me that I can do more than I think I can. One job entailed making puppets in the style of the puppeteer, which was very different from my own. Another project involved creating two murals for a restaurant – one with Botticelli-style angels and the other painting a wall of Pompeian ruins. I have also found that working on art can instantly and completely remove me from my surroundings and all other thoughts and concerns – time takes on a different quality and it is usually difficult to stop working on the art and take care of more mundane responsibilities.
Color is a major influence in my life and my art reflects this in the bold colors and contrasts I enjoy. In fact, color, contrast and composition inform all aspects of my life including home decor, gardening design and attire. My work includes drawing, painting, collage, decoupage and jewelry design.
