I create art because I can't NOT make art! I need to make art to live. And to share my love of art with everyday people.
You decide who will appear in Artforum Magazine, take home $25,000, and display their work at The Art of Elysium's Salon!
I am primarily a painter, using either acrylics or watercolors. I enjoy floral paintings, although I create portraits and landscapes, also. Working with young people gives me the chance to create in other mediums as well. Together, we have used colored pencils, tissue, and pastels to emulate the styles of Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Degas, and Michaelangelo. We have repurposed discarded materials such as bird houses and wood, giving them new life.
Where do you find inspiration?I find inspiration from other artists, as well as my environment in Nebraska where I live. The sunsets, the fields, the storms, and the harvests, sharing the beauty of what most people consider "fly-over country." Children inspire me as well, and young friends and relatives have served as subjects.
What would you do with $25,000?My heart has always been to teach art to young people. As a teenager, I was discouraged from pursuing art as a vocation, and I don't want that same fate for others. When I retired in 2019, my husband and I opened a painting studio in our small town. With the $25,000, we could secure a larger space to accommodate more students and continue to feature local artists who would otherwise go unseen.
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