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Born in Scotland, my parents, my brother and I immigrated to the United States shortly after World War II. My husband Ed and I live happily in Maryville, Tennessee, a small town nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and celebrated our Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary last year. We have two sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. Aren't we lucky! I have had a wonderfully fullfilling life. In addition to family activities; travel, hot air ballooning, whitewater rafting, and dancing were among the myriad activities I enjoyed before physical disabilities slowed me down. I hope that my positive outlook is reflected in the works that I produce. In 1975, I was lucky enough to meet Violet Linton, a local artist who taught oil painting. A few years of on-and-off lessons came to a halt when I began to work full-time outside the home. One of Violet's favorite sayings became my mantra "A straight line for duty; a curved line for beauty." Having successfully reared our sons, I began working outside the home again and attending evening classes at Maryville College. The Knoxville Museum of Art, the University of Tennessee, and Maryville College were all interesting workplaces. Receiving my Bachelor's degree from Maryville and graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1991 was the culmination of a long-time dream. Forced to take early retirement to help care for my Alzheimer's stricken father, along with my own failing health, I searched for something to relieve the stress. Returning to painting was my salvation. This was a turning point in my life. I began painting again in January, 2003. My original medium had been oils, and I had not painted in 18 years. I discovered watercolors and the WetCanvas! website. The results of that discovery are found on this website. In May, 2005, I was juried into Fine Arts Blount (FAB), a local organization with the stated objectives of "To encourage and promote the development and appreciation of fine arts; to promote and encourage high standards of workmanship..." As a member of FAB, I wore many hats. I was webmaster for FAB ; Publicity Coordinator; Scheduling Coordinator for Workshops and Classes offered at ArtSpace, FAB's bricks-and-mortar presence in downtown Maryville; and an exhibiting member, showcasing my work at the monthly exhibits at ArtSpace. At the moment, I am not active in FAB. Recently, I have begun successfully offering web design and website maintenance to fellow artists. Several online international visual artists’ communities, in addition to WetCanvas! are my virtual windows on the world. In May, 2006 and May, 2007, I hosted international Smoky Mountains Spring Art Flings for online friends. We had painting demonstrations, entertainment, fellowship and fun. No Fling was planned for this spring, but perhaps one will take place at a different time of year. A couple of charitable events I took part in are cited below.
producing a single 22” x 30” watercolor painting. Visually exciting, the painting is a representation of a fictional “global village,” depicted by actual and imaginary buildings representing many diverse cultures and architectural styles. The painting is complete, and has been sold at auction. Proceeds (after auction costs) went to WetCanvas! as the artists’ “Name your own subscription” to the site. I am proud to be a member of this group of collaborating artists and was the third artist to receive the painting. The yellow neo-Classical building to the right (as viewed) is my contribution and was painted in honor of our county's mustard yellow brick courthouse. Thanks for visiting my virtual studio! Please check back often. |
My "creative pause" -- caused by a medication that blunted my imagination and destroyed my color sense is now over! I am now painting again, and, as you can see by my work on the Home page and Newest Work page 
Early in 2005, I participated in an on-line sale of art works with all proceeds going to organizations providing tsunami relief. One of my paintings, Afternoon of Languor sold, and it helped WetCanvas! raise a total of more than $14,000 for the victims of the December 2004 Tsunami.
An earlier charitable endeavour was a collaboration of 20 artists, representing eight countries on five continents,  |  |