Started art at age 13, my father was a silent partner in a small “so you can draw” art school. I was welcomed to join the drawing classes. Drawing was my first love. I had sketch pad and pencils with me all the time. Only the old barn drawing, 1952, survived the years.
When I was 15, I joined The Portland Oregon Artist society . They offered classes in water color, pastel and oil. My first oil painting, Portland waterfront, turned out so well that I dumped the sketch pad and pencils except to make sketches for painting.
I got my mother to buy me several books on oil painting. My art teacher, I had a crush on, gave me lots of encouragement to keep painting so I painted off and on until I retired in 1992 at age 55 from Boeing. In retirement, I joined the Seattle Parks department artist group. Isabel Thalian the instructor was a wonderful impressionist artist. My favorite impressionist, beside Isabel, is Claude Monet. We painted from still life in the studio and made several field trips. I never mastered that movement although Isabel never gave up on me. Moved to Yuma and bought a place here at 11439 E 37th st. in 1997 and joined YECC.
In 1998, I started a one week oil paint workshop. I had five brave soles, they were Louise Vittitow, Leatha Rush, Joe Curran, Joe La Fleur and Vonie.
Joined Mountain Shadows art group for several years.
I’m still painting, mostly on small 9 x 12 or 12 x 16 canvases. During the 2020 pandemic, I painted 28 canvases. April 18 through July 14, 2024, painted 11 canvases.
