When I majored in art at Douglass College I concentrated on graphics.  I used only black ink for my etchings, aquatints, and lithographs.  Because my early work was monochromatic, I am very excited about the creative potential of working in color.  My line drawings tend to be informational and timeless--color allows me to express a specific time and place.  I love exploring the influence of light and shadow on color.  For me, a favorite detail in my work might be a small glowing triangle of color or a shadow created by the sun on a perfect day.   

I generally choose my subject matter from my travels.  In the past year I have also turned my attention to Westfield and Cranford, New Jersey.  I enjoy focusing on landscapes, cityscapes, and architectural details.    I still work in oils, but recently my main focus has been on my water colored pen and inks. 

The immediacy of water colored pen and inks has helped me to combine my love for intricate detail with a freer more gestual feeling.  I work from my pen and ink sketches or the digital images I have taken with my camera.  Since detail is important to me I work at the computer so I can enlarge my photos.    My concentration in etchings and lithography has prepared me well for my work with pen and ink.  Both these media require that you draw directly on a metal plate or stone, so I am very comfortable sketching in ink.  When I'm working on my water colored pen and inks I prefer to sketch in ink.  I particularly like the challenge of working in ink because each line is permanent--influencing each succeeding line and the final outcome.

In November of 2008 I started doing imaginary botanicals which are a combination of water colors, pen & inks, and collage.  My botanical images come directly from my mind and from my personal version of the real thing.  Unlike my architectural works, the botanicals start as water colors and the ink outlines are added last.