Preparing for the Santa Paula Art Museum Exhibit - May 16th - September 13th, 2026

I am currently preparing for my exhibition at the Santa Paula Art Museum, and it has been a meaningful experience to look back over my life and consider what to share. Like many artists, I’ve been painting for as long as I can remember. I was raised by two mid-century painters who treated art as a kind of family religion. Surrounded by their creative world, I grew up believing that being an artist wasn’t a choice; it was simply who we were. A teacher once told me I “danced to the beat of my own drum,” and that has stayed with me.

My path wasn’t linear. I traveled through Europe, studied Art History and Studio Art at Mills College, and continued at Art Center College of Design, only to realize that following directions, especially someone else’s, was never my strength. Life led me into marriage, raising three children, and finding creativity in everyday moments.

Eventually, I returned to painting. What began as tender images of family evolved into more expressive, emotionally charged work during a difficult period in my life. That time, though challenging, pushed me toward greater honesty and authenticity. Later, after divorce and a cancer diagnosis, my work shifted again, becoming quieter, more introspective, and deeply textured. I stayed in that space for many years.

More recently, another transformation emerged. During COVID, and through a new relationship with Ray, I found myself working smaller and experimenting with printmaking, digital tools, and layered processes. Our travels and daily walks brought me back to observing nature with fresh eyes. What began as simple observation grew into something more intentional. I started creating what I think of as visual postcards, reflections of a life rooted in joy, presence, and discovery.

The work in this exhibition brings together those “postcards” from the past four years. Blending digital tools with hand-painted materials, these pieces reflect not only where I’ve been, but where I am now.