Though I have not had much formal education in art, I have been doing it in one form or another my entire life. Working in and running a custom picture framing shop for 36 years was an education in itself. I don’t believe one can look at art, all types of art day after day, year after year and not learn from it.
I have taken a few painting classes over the years. One with the Adult Continuing Education Program in Hastings, and one with the painter Irvin Lopez in Dobbs Ferry at his studio. I also learned stained glass and did a bit of hand building in pottery at the County Arts Center in White Plains. But for the most part I am self taught.
Creating art to me is an exploration, a journey, and I’ve experimented with different mediums in different styles. I have worked in watercolors, oil, acrylic, pastel, and alcohol ink. I have also done eco-printing, stained glass, and pottery as mentioned. Also a bit of mosaic and have used top-hats as a ground for expression.
I started out with a bent towards realism, which I have a knack for, but in the past few years, I have been drawn towards abstract painting and collage, becoming more of an intuitive painter. To me, being an artist is not to be stagnant. To be creative is to be alive.