Obeyance Painting

I grew up on the Eastern shore of Lake Michigan, in Muskegon, Michigan. A beautiful place, with an economy that is still struggling to reinvent itself after the auto industry recession in the late 70’s. After earning degrees in both advertising design and marketing from a state school that few outside Michigan have ever heard of, I met a professional golfer and moved to Long Island, New York. Close enough to NYC to be a regular visitor, but suburban enough to be a pretty insane gardener. After 30 years here I consider myself a true New Yorker, but the Midwestern girl in me still smiles at strangers on the Subway and has in-depth discussions about world events with cab drivers. Although I appreciate all kinds of art, I have always related more to artists who interpret the world rather than copy it. I have always been drawn to post-impressionism, abstract expressionism, and surrealism. Artists who utilize strong colors, textures and patterns (Matisse, Van Gogh, Lautrec, Chagall, Calder, Kandinsky, Klee, and Klimt) continue to inspire me to see the world differently. My paintings (acrylic, watercolor, mixed media, and digital art) are inspired by natural themes. I create stylized and abstract interpretations of ordinary things I see each day, finding hidden beauty in their forms and details. I tend to work in bold shapes and colors, and love creating exaggerated graphic patterns and textural pieces. I'm Treasurer and webmaster of the North Shore Artists Guild, and a regular exhibitor at Art League of Long Island, Brookhaven Arts Council, East End Arts, Huntington Arts Council, Southampton Artists Association, and South Shore Arts. My commissioned pieces are part of private collections in Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Long Island, Missouri, Montana, New York, Michigan and Texas. When away from my easel, I'm a 30 year branding consultant, marketer, graphic designer, and web development specialist. I love to cook, write, travel, read, hike, garden, watch movies, and go exploring. I'm also a history and political junkie. What can I say, the human condition continues to fascinate me.