Miss Phoebe, 2018*
Artist Statement
I am a fine artist trained in the methods and techniques of the old masters. My main painting interest is portraiture of people and animals. Incorporating my earlier training as a developmental psychologist, I create art in the realism tradition that embodies both my insights into people and my experiences as a feminist and person of color. Themes such as struggle, loneliness, isolation, darkness, depression, anger, but also hope, beauty, and humor underlie my work. Though I tend to focus on portraiture, I also enjoy and appreciate the challenges and beauty of landscape and still life painting.
A Short History
I have always wanted to paint, but my love for art was put on hold as I pursued a career as a psychology professor. A series of life events, however, led to a move to Baltimore in 2013. This city reintroduced me to art and painting and offered the opportunity to take painting courses at the Schuler School of Fine Arts. There I realized how much I missed painting, so I took the plunge and became a full-time artist. I graduated with a certificate in arts from the Schuler School of Fine Arts in May 2023.
*Miss Phoebe
Phoebe was our beloved boxer who died of bone cancer in March 2017. She was a week shy of her 9th birthday. Our good neighbor’s son loved her and referred to her as, Miss Phoebe. She was an ebullient dog bursting with unrestrained joy and unconditional love. She shook her nub tail and back end so exuberantly that our renovation contractor and his men dubbed her, Wiggles. It was not unusual to get offers by others to babysit her in their homes. Her sweetness, however, was matched by her smarts. She was easy to train, and so willing to please. She never did anything wrong and stuck to rules as if she had made them. One of her favorite things was running full speed and crashing into another barrel-chested dog. This she would do with mouth agape and full tongue extended. She was just a really good dog. She is missed.