This is My Story

From my early years growing up in Vermont, I have had an interest in the arts. The rural life of Vermont meant days spent enjoying the beauty of nature. I recall lying in the grass and looking up at the clouds. As they floated from one end of the valley to the other I would see images that changed as the clouds moved across the sky, leaving my imagination to run wild with visions of animals, people and all kinds of things. Then there were the walks in the woods, where I would find forms of creatures in the bark, branches, and leaves of the trees.

I also recall using my first watercolor set to paint pictures of trees, flowers, and a portrait of our family dog, Boots. Another vivid memory is hiking up to a meadow on the mountain to paint the fall colors with my small set of oil paints. Finally, my first camera I got for Christmas, which gave me a whole new means of creative expression. These were foundational  experiences that have formed and continually shape my art.

Boots, my first painting.

Since that time, I have lived in a number of different places: from rural to city, east coast to west coast, north to south, here and abroad. I finally settled into a career as a letter carrier with the United States Postal Service. During those years I pursued more formal training in the arts, taking classes in Theater Arts, Dance and Photography. In each of those areas, I found new outlets for my creativity.

Since retiring, I have had more time to fully follow my creative spirit, an expedition of sorts. I enrolled in visual art classes to see what I could learn. My goal has been to master the techniques of various mediums, so I can use them to express my own creativity. I started with painting in watercolor and mixed media, then explored acrylics and drawing. It has been a constant learning experience.

I began to study drawing, using charcoal, with professional artist, Hyacinthe Kuller Baron. The process of actually feeling the charcoal, as I applied it to the paper, was a way to get to my inner self. By making marks on the paper, and then developing those marks into images that came from what I saw in them, I have been able to get in touch with the “Silent Stranger” (As Hyacinthe would say.)  It is a liberating expression that comes from deep within myself.

In order to do this, I have had to get out of the way of myself, so my creative expression can be realized. I must ignore those things that inhibit me; the words in my head that say my creations will not be what others understand. I cannot limit myself from experimenting and trying new things, nor can I put restrictions on my abilities to freely create.

Art is an expression of how we see the world, and how we share that view with others. Art is storytelling. It is musical. It is movement. It is visual and interactive. Art will make you think. Art will make you explore, react, and feel something. I have found that opening the door to my artistic expression, has allowed me to communicate in ways that I had never before thought possible.

My art is a reflection of me.