My Artwork: Paintings: Oil and Acrylic

Painting. I sort of fell into it. One Christmas my artistically supportive Mom (thanks Mom) created one of the best Christmas I ever recieved. She purchased every color that Liquitex Brand acrylic paints came in, plus a myriad of tools because she thought I would get off on painting. I loved the gift but had no clue what to do with the paint (sorry Mom). I still have a lot of that paint (smile at Mom) and yes its still good. They have been used more then when I was 15 or 16. About 10 years ago I just felt like I needed to learn how to paint. The paintings look very different from my other work mostly because of how I learned to paint. I fell completely in love with the feel of paint. How it mixes, moves on canvas and how it feels on a brush. I love what brushes do to paint and what they do to color. Several of the paintings are multi-media. I have glued, sewn or some how attached beads, glass, stones and leafing of some kind to them in order to tell a story.

My favorite painting of all is the last one. It is a portrait of Chief Joseph (known by his people as Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt) of the Nez Perce. He is my hero because of what he did for his people and the ability he had to make himself heard at time when Native Americans were being ignored. It is not the best of my artwork but it is the piece that is the closest to my heart and soul.

I have entered several of these in state fairs and won a blue ribbon for the 4th painting (the ballerina: "Dancer's Kiss"). Many have ben exhibited in joint shows and some have been sold. Much of my artwork is gone and disappeared before I gained the where with all to photograph them. Yes I know, I know...and is why I am now so fanatical about photographing ANYTHING and EVERYTHING I make no matter how simple.