I had a strange path in becoming an artist. Several years ago, a spinal operation confined me to little or no activity for 6 months. I always had an interest in drawing but never made an effort to pursue it. So with months of free time ahead of me, I picked up a pencil and began sketching. Even though the sketches were crude my husband told me I had potential. One day he surprised me with several books on drawing. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards became my “go to” guide. My husband kept giving me encouragement and I kept drawing.  

Six months later, I was hooked. My husband suggested taking a class at our local college but I was too inhibited to consider taking a college art class. Instead, I found Ms. Oh, a Korean artist, that gave painting lessons in her home. She was the first of many artists that were instrumental on my path of learning to draw.  

One year later, I was accepted at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. My teacher was a European trained artist with a reputation for being blunt and demanding. That class began three years of concentrated study: Drawing 1, Drawing 2, Life Drawing, 2D Composition, Color Theory, then Painting 1, Painting 2, Advanced Painting, and when I wasn’t attending class I was watching art programs on TV and the Web. I was especially drawn to the techniques used by the old masters like Caravaggio and daVinci.

My husband is amused that I don’t call myself an artist. I have so much more to learn….

To relax, I play with clay.

But my favorite pastime is to sketch.