MeettheArtist

A native of North Carolina, USA, her award winning work has been eagerly accepted by corporate and private collectors internationally

ARTIST STATEMENT

A particular light, a certain day, a common subject, unusual qualities, calm but compelling emotions -- embody the art I aim to produce. However important, technical bravura and likeness is not enough. A formulaic convenience that fits every -painting doesn't exist so my challenge is to create an emotional dialogue between the viewer and the work of art that speak to generations and sometimes may be the only link. I don't want the viewer to be concerned with technique at their first glance. The viewer should first be taken up in the moment, the sheer joy of seeing art that first stands on its own as a beautiful work of art.

A still life is emotive just as a person. To some people it might look like a small green vase, but to me a Roman glass is nothing short of miraculous. How can a fragile, artful dodger of wars, earthquakes, volcanic lavas since time AD still be in existence? It deserves to be immortalized in a painting. Yet like the creative spirit, whose existence is a meer journey, this fragile traveler has a quiet strength that speaks to me as I juxtapose the delicate iridescent shape many times until Fibonacci strikes the right note for the winning composition. I aim for each work to resonate with viewers as much as it does with me--that it piques a pleasant aesthetic connection the first time it is viewed and subsequently each time it is revisited, hopefully for many years to come. -TBH

After university, her first solo show of fifty pen-and-ink works, garnered over 30,000 gallery visitors. Local television and newspaper featured her work in association with preserving historical landmarks and spawned a second solo exhibit, a corporately commissioned, traveling exhibition across the Untied States. This exposure induced a stream of private commissions and fired an entrepreneurial spark to open a retail art gallery, framing center to expand her art services.

Attracted to a more dynamic art climate, she parlayed proceeds of her retail business to set up studio in New York City. Her work was collected and represented by Wally Findlay, proprietor of galleries bearing his name in Manhattan, Beverly Hills, West Palm Beach, Chicago and Paris. After a move to Europe, her work entered galleries and private collections mainly in The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

Her training in eight different media, prepared her well for filling various commissions. Her life experiences, diverse and enriching, allowed setting up studio and deepening her art study at top academies in Europe. Over time she honed fine art degree into more traditional methods becoming a generalist, able to paint many subjects and work in several media at award-winning level including sculpture. She continues to fill commissions, including many for classical portraiture. Her talent is supported by professional artist memberships, jury and board positions.

Her art production and teaching methods are influenced by the art and education stream outlined in The Flowering Staircase, artists of the Dutch Golden Age as well as by contemporary artists such as Henk Helmantel (NL), Evert Thielen, (B), Jacob Collins (US), Daniel Greene (US, Jamie Wyeth (US, Everett Raymond Kinstler(US), Ted Seth Jacobs (F/USA) and Nelson Shanks(US) --many of whom not only produce professionally, but who are passionate about educating others to assure classical art fundamentals and traditions can be practiced by future generations. Fascinated with theories associated with brain dominance and the drawing skills, she believes Dr. Betty Edwards made the most important mainstream impact in contemporary art educational models in schools and in the business culture.

When not in her (indoor) studio, one may find her atop towns or villages in southern France and Italy painting en plein air. She holds workshops, where in addition to painting at beautiful places, she weaves the magnificent art history of the area into a fun itinerary, for example: Giverny -Monet's Garden and House, Richard the Lionhearted's Castle, Van Gogh villages, Cezanne's studio, Roman architecture, and many more.

Her work is currently self-represented in Europe and the United States by the company she cofounded with her husband, Dutch n Duchess, LLC, an online supplier of European art and antiques.

To commission a work or find out about her next exhibition, please forward any questions via the 'Contact us ' button; visit the 'Events' page or opt into the DnD 'Invitation List" to receive quarterly news and invitations. A complete online CV is available by request.