Lifetime Achievement Award

Lifetime Achievement Award

Recently I received the Life Time Achievement Award from Who’s Who because of my Who’s Who in American Art. Jeannie and I had a long conversation about my life and works where she asked questions I’d never been asked before. A couple come to mind:

Why did you become interested in doing Arts? I had never been asked this question before but came up with the answer pretty quickly.  My father introduced me to a world of culture through his love of music and I remember he purchased a print of Renoirs “Two Sisters on the Terrace” way back when we lived in Billings Montana.  He hung it at the top of the stairs and every time my parakeet escaped the bird would land on the top of the frame of the print.  My dad later bought a scene of South Londonderry where he was born.  The painting (which had been exhibited at Grand Central Galleries)  was painted by Harry Shokler a Vermont  Landscape Painter.    He also taught me a love of nature (since he was a forester and management of lands with the BLM) and gardening so it seemed natural to explore the arts and nature which eventually evolved into my love of expressing nature in fine art.

When did you start in the arts? I first started in the arts through music when I was in the 3rd grade I guess about 8 years old and drawing classes about the same age.  I also started craft projects and my grandmother taught me making tatted lace early on.  I think I did my first painting when we moved to Duluth so when I was in Junior High School.

What do you think is your proudest Achievement? I could list my accolades but I think the most rewarding achievement is when I captured a series of storm paintings in Brittany by painting them in situ and capturing them in larger format.  I don’t know that it would be possible to do this now, but I will always be trying to reach that level and surpass it in someway.  Capturing the spirit of nature and translating it into paint is my proudest achievement.

Do you want to mention someone who has had an influence on your career?
Yes, I would like to say that Mary Ekroos was throughout my career one of my staunchest supporters.  I asked her to do critiques back when I was first starting out and she would write these long letters explaining all the critiques in text and return the slide.  Way more effort than the $5.00 she was paid to do the critiques.  I probably still have those letters somewhere.  Finding them may be a challenge.  I’d also like to mention Raymond Kinstler.  I took a couple of workshops from him but I think he should be mentioned because of his generous spirit.  He was a very accomplished artist and always busy but he took time to come down to see my work in my One-Person show at the National Arts Club and he sponsored me for membership and took charge of the interview  when I became a member.  He didn’t have to help out other artists but that should be recognized as it is a model for the way artists can help others.  I’d also like to mention my collectors many of which have collected my work for 30 years and supported my efforts through out my career.  By buying artwork they have made the journey possible.  When I sold February Blast to Mr & Mrs Majane, that $7000 paid for my trip to Australia.    Many of them have been my friends throughout my career and many have passed on and I miss them.  Their advocacy was against the tide of the politics in the artworld itself.  Championing a woman artist when it wasn’t the thing to do.  Their role as trustees of the art for the coming generations and support for the arts and culture in a society in general, which doesn’t really reward that support, has always been appreciated and should be recognized as an integral part of the arts.