BA

Oil Paint
25.4 x 20.32 cm
2025
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About this artwork
"Vibrant Abstracted Garden" is a play on a garden within a garden—a world within a world. This painting experiments with the idea of layers, where reality and abstraction intermingle. The alstroemeria, placed simply in a glass canning jar, bring a fresh vibrancy, while the background—an abstracted glimpse of another painting—adds a sense of movement and intrigue. The lemons punctuate the composition with their brilliant yellow, a lively counterpoint to the cooler hues. I was drawn to the suggestion of a fellow artist to include another painting within the painting for this set up. We used one of her pieces that had a lovely abstract quality to it. How I distilled its shapes into something looser and more expressive, was to go in close and leave out the suggestion of an entire painting. This layering created a conversation between the still life and the surrounding space—one of color, form, and rhythm. It’s a reminder that art is never static; it extends beyond the frame, inviting new ways of seeing.
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Artwork History

Apr 15, 2025
Peggy buyer protection
About the artist

The idea that life is like a work of art feels inspiring to me. Viewing life as an ongoing journey of discovery full of lessons in perspective and relationships parallels the experience of painting. The ups and downs, twists and turns are so similar to how I move a paintbrush and it’s influence on the paintings color, texture and presence. As I consider my artistic journey, it began before my first breath. I arrived with a love for creating as I believe we all do. A more conscious desire to be an artist /painter began around age 7 or 8. Drawing, painting and working with color were activities where I could feel a connection unlike any other. Hours flew by like seconds as I entered the magical world of making something. I didn’t have words for the experience at that time but I understood on a deep level what this time provided for me and that was hope! Hope was something that seemed to dissipate for me as grew up. While there was creativity in the home, a lot of chaos and uncertainty also existed. Creating, in the way I did through drawing and coloring was a form of relief from how scared inside I felt all the time. It helped me know there was something that I could feel secure in. I clung to that feeling. My path since then has been one of searching for a way to honor that creative part of my being. For many years I “stuffed” my artistic desires and unknowingly traded in on them for the life I thought I was supposed to live; which wasn’t all bad. Inside my heart though parts of my soul were dying. It took an experience that turned my world upside down to “wake-up” and re-consider the path I was on. Slowly, I found some courage to face my artistic self and see where the art might take me. Painting has been a big part of my life for some years now. At the core, my paintings are inspired by the color of hope and the power of wonder in every day life. They are founded upon that 7 or 8 year old girls desire to share her dream and the possibility of something beyond difficult times and experiences. These paintings are visual stories of an examined life that’s still in process and evolving through the experience of painting. I’m learning it can be a simple and rich tapestry of adventure over tim
Curriculum Vitae
Born in 1958 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Currently residing in Cranbury, NJ, USA.
Held Together / The Nassau Club Princeton The Colors of Hope / The Bank of Princeton - Lambertville NJ Looking Through a Rainbow Landscape Perspectives: A Local View The Tapestry of Color / The Present Day Club - Princeton Held Together / The Nassau Club Princeton The Colors of Hope / The Bank of Princeton - Lambertville NJ Looking Through a Rainbow Landscape Perspectives: A Local View The Tapestry of Color / The Present Day Club - Princeton Bordentown arts.org - The Children’s Mural Project Visions and Virtues - University of Notre Dame, Indiana Painting by Carrier Clinic Selected Artist for the Children’s Mural Project, Bordentown, NJ Second Prize Heritage Day Plein Air Festival Third Prize Heritage Day Plein Air Festival Private Oil Painting Classes in my studio
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