|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Greetings art lovers! Welcome to my online gallery of original oil paintings, ranging from character portraits to flower and still life studies, plus my one landscape. Although I enjoy all subjects, I am primarily a painter of people. I have always been intrigued by faces, even as a small child I was able to draw recognizable likenesses of family and friends, much to their amused astonishment. By the age of 17, I was studying story illustration with the well known British artist, Arthur Ferrier, creator of the lovely 'Ferrier Girl', the European version of the famous American 'Gibson Girl'. I found that I particularly enjoyed working from live models and discovered my ability to portray the mood of each individual. When I realized what I could achieve creatively with a camera, I became enthralled by portrait photography and decided to forgo a career in commercial art. I found I could bring people to life through my lens! After studying at the London Polytechnic School of Photography, I began producing exhibition quality portraiture and winning awards. My portrait of "Delilah" hung in the prestigious London Salon next to Karsh of Ottawa's famous portrait of Sir Winston Churchill. My portrait of "Daphne" was featured in the annual book "Best Photographs of the Year". This led to my being commissioned to write numerous articles for photographic magazines. I was then honored by being elected an Associate of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain. I was invited to exhibit at shows and galleries all over the world, but like so many of my generation, World War II intervened. I was seriously injured during an air raid. My recovery took more than a year, and then romance, marriage and motherhood took over my life and caused what I imagined at the time to be just a temporary halt to my career. In 1957 I immigrated with my family to the USA and settled in San Diego, California. Then came my on-going fascination with oil painting. As soon as I first tried it, I knew that this was my perfect medium. I love the very scent of oil paint and the way it's texture responds to my brush. It's also a good feeling to know that a painting in oils will last for centuries. For a long time I led an artists' workshop in San Diego. I now have a Portrait Workshop in Pacific Beach. (If you are interested in modeling or participating, see the Workshop page for more information). When painting commissioned portraits, I especially enjoy the challenge of capturing each person's individual character. Now I hope you enjoy viewing this sampling of my work. Please feel free to send me your comments and any question you may have, by clicking on the email link below. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|