Sharing my paints and canvas with the ladies who bring my vision into focus is how my art comes to life. I mix and lift the paint, they add finesse to my mixing and to the feel of the paint leaving my brush. The interplay between these ladies that light up my studio and myself transforms my art from simple picture making to creating visual poems. My still-lifes and landscapes benefit from my inspiring ladies who leave me filled with sharpened desires to create and challenge myself.
Hearing the voice of those who are visually inspiring me enriches who I am as an artist, filling my artistic soul. Listening to dreams and stories from the ladies adds color to my paintings. Stories of waiting tables to pay for text books, caring for autistic kids to take an extra law course, weeding gardens with bitting ants, walking dogs in winter weather followed by hours of studying courses on business ethics. Some just need money for skates for a young hockey player. All have an interest in art. All want to help in any way they can in getting me the work of art I want. I get a charge out of being able to help them and hearing how they move closer to their dream. Many times they get needed rest working for me. Some get studies done when I stop asking them questions. The more I learn about my models, the more I can put into a painting.
